The oldest European mute swan was found dead last week near the farm Hrífla, south of Goðafoss waterfall in North Iceland. The swan was 30 years old when it died, and the oldest living swan in Europe. Mute swans usually live to be 10-20 years old.
The swan was ringed as a young bird in September 1986 by Engivatn lake on Fljótsheiði heath in East Iceland. The bird was given the tag number BXN A1495. The bird returned to the region regularly and was last seen by the farm Arndísarstaðir, close to where it was later found dead.
The local newspaper Morgunblaðið reports that last week, when snow melted, the bird was found dead. The bird probably died sometime last fall or early winter, before being covered by snow. He would have been 30 years old when he died.
The Goðafoss swan became the oldest mute swan in Europe in 2009, when the previous record holder died in Denmark. This swan lived to become 40 years old, beating the previous record for the oldest swan in the world. That bird had lived to be 28 years old. The Goðafoss swan was therefore one of the oldest swans known.
The oldest European mute swan was found dead last week near the farm Hrífla, south of Goðafoss waterfall in North Iceland. The swan was 30 years old when it died, and the oldest living swan in Europe. Mute swans usually live to be 10-20 years old.
The swan was ringed as a young bird in September 1986 by Engivatn lake on Fljótsheiði heath in East Iceland. The bird was given the tag number BXN A1495. The bird returned to the region regularly and was last seen by the farm Arndísarstaðir, close to where it was later found dead.
The local newspaper Morgunblaðið reports that last week, when snow melted, the bird was found dead. The bird probably died sometime last fall or early winter, before being covered by snow. He would have been 30 years old when he died.
The Goðafoss swan became the oldest mute swan in Europe in 2009, when the previous record holder died in Denmark. This swan lived to become 40 years old, beating the previous record for the oldest swan in the world. That bird had lived to be 28 years old. The Goðafoss swan was therefore one of the oldest swans known.
