The Black Swan, Cygnus atratus is a large waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The Black Swan was formerly placed into a monotypic genus, Chenopis. ?Swan? is the common gender term, but ?cob? for a male and ?pen? for a female are also used, as is ?cygnet? for the young.Thomson, Sir A. Landsborough, A New Dictionary of Birds, Thomas Nelson, London 1964: 793 Collective nouns include a ?bank? (on the ground) and a ?wedge? (in flight).[LINK: http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/collective/s/?view=uk] "Ask the Experts" — Oxford Dictionary Black Swans can be found singly, or in loose companies numbering into the hundreds or even thousands. Pizzey, G., A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Collins, Sydney 1984: 66 Description Black Swans are mostly black feathered, with a line of whi