Cygnus falconeri

Cygnus falconeri is an extinct species of very large swan known from Middle Pleistocene-aged deposits from Malta and Sicily. Its dimensions are described as exceeding those of the living mute swan by one-third,^[2] which would give a bill-to-tail length of about 190–210 cm (75–83 in) (based on 145–160 cm for C. olor^[3]). By comparison to the bones of living swans, it can be estimated that it weighed around 16 kg (35 lb) and had a wingspan of about 3 m (9.8 ft).^[4][5][6] Due to its size, it may have been flightless.^[7] Its remains on Malta are associated with dwarf elephants (the smaller Palaeoloxodon falconeri and the larger Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis), giant dormice (Leithia, including the largest dormouse ever, the rabbit-sized L. melitensis and the smaller L. cartei and Maltamys gollcheri), the giant tortoise Solitudo robusta and other birds, including raptors and members of the crane genus Grus.^[8] Some remains of the species are displayed Għar Dalam museum in Birżebbuġa, Malta.

Giant swan Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Reconstruction of Cygnus falconeri with Palaeoloxodon falconeri and a human for scale
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Cygnus
Species:	C. falconeri
Binomial name
Cygnus falconeri Parker, 1865[1]