Coscoroba swans have a purely white plumage, a brightly red beak, a short neck and comparatively long feet. They look somewhat more like geese than swans.
The animals live in South America from the south of Brasil to the southern tip of the continent. They live mainly from grasses and small water plants but also ingest mussels and little fish.
The female incubates the eggs alone while the male stands guard. It helps to protect the fledglings against predators after hatching. Coroscoba swans can be very aggressive in this regard. They live to the age of approximately twenty years.