Here's the scoop: Swans use elegant long necks to eat and preen

On a sunny August Saturday, 8-year-old Isabella watched the mute swans and their cygnets (baby swans) gliding across the Schaumburg Village Hall pond and wondered why they have long necks.

The short answer for those long necks? To reach down under the water and pull up the delicious and nutritious plants they love to munch.

An adult swan's neck is approximately 50 to 60 inches long and allows it to tear off aquatic plants growing four feet under water. Their big, webbed feet help, too. Those powerful feet paddle the water and create a current that uproots or loosens the plant roots. That makes it easier for swans, like Schaumburg's Louis and Serena, to grab their dinner.

Not all swans live in fresh water, however; saltwater swans use their lengthy necks to reach down for mollusks, as well as plants.

What about cygnets? Their little necks can't reach down deep enough for plants, but that's not a problem because they aren't particularly fond of veggies. During their first few weeks, swan chicks eat insects, snails and tadpoles, then transition to plants. They can often be seen along the shore, snacking on tender grasses and other greens they can easily reach.

A swan's graceful neck has other important functions, too. It is flexible enough to turn the head backward, which comes in handy for checking on cygnets, such as when parents look back to make sure their kids are OK. It also helps them spot predators. No one wants a coyote, fox or even an unkind human sneaking up behind them.

Preening, or cleaning their feathers, is another very important function that requires a long neck. Swans take cleanliness seriously, and spend a good part of each day preening their feathers - approximately 25,000! They have a gland under their tail feathers that produces a special oil that cleans, waterproofs, and moisturizes their feathers and bill. That long neck helps the swan reach back to get the oil. Using its bill, the swan spreads the oil through its feathers.

A long neck, webbed feet, and a unique cleansing oil helps swans stay fed, clean and healthy. Each of Earth's creatures, from ants to the giant blue whales that roam the oceans, have unique features that help them survive in their environments.

• Resources: "Swans," by Nicole Helget; www.marylandzoo.org; share.america.gov.

Here are some ways to protect swans:

• Do not feed them bread because it can cause health problems. This is true of other birds, too. They will find what they need in the wild.

• Place trash in trash cans. Swans and other animals can get their heads stuck in plastic rings or cups, or choke on other types of garbage they mistake for food.

• Volunteer to clean up a wetlands area or join an organization dedicated to protecting the environment.