Mute swans are invasive. Oregon is so worried about the species the birds are on the 100 Most Dangerous Invaders list.
Although the swans' population is small and scattered in Oregon, evidence from other states proves that the birds can spread and multiply quickly, driving away other waterfowl.
Despite their genteel appearance, they also are voracious eaters, capable of clearing entire lake bottoms.
"They are the bullies of the wetlands," said Jim Gores, an invasive species and wildlife integrity coordinator with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "They have a temper and attitude that you would not believe."
As part of a study of mute swan behavior in Maryland, biologists moved two remote-controlled tundra swans near a pair of mute swans.
The mute swans attacked viciously, to the point that one robo-swan lost its head.
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