Elusive Black Swan back in Bingara

July 12, 2020

This photo of the Gwydir river may be rather ordinary and certainly won’t be winning any photographic prizes but, if you look closely, hiding in the duck weed is the elusive black swan!

Once an abundant species native only to Australia, the black swan has become a rare sight in Bingara.

Like purple cows and flying pigs, the black swan was a symbol of what was impossible. In medieval Europe, unicorns had more credibility. Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, by finding black swans in Western Australia in 1697, showed how risky it is to declare something impossible.

Whilst the bird appears proudly on the Central School emblem, in recent times it has rarely been seen gliding along local waters. The birds migrate dependant on climate conditions and tend to
be nomadic, seeking out wetter areas to nest and rear their young.

Despite this male and female birds are monogamous and share the parenting duties between them.


The black swans are regular visitors to Bingara’s Living Classroom

Black swans at Bingara