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Black-necked swan; Chilean name Cisne de cuello negro        Images © Mark A. Chappell

These beautiful and graceful swans are characteristic of Patagonia and the southern Chilean coastal region.   The small tourist town of Puerto Natales, in southern Chile, often has more than 100 black-necked swans along its waterfront (which has a wonderful background of mountain scenery).   I took many of these photos as the birds fed on seaweed, which they were able to do quite calmly even on very windy days, which account for the rough water in several of the images.

  • Canon 1D3, 500 mm f4 IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X converter (2009)