This story appears in the December 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine. From the swirl of its initial letter to its sighing vowel and feather-soft final consonant, the very word—"swan ...

The swans take off mostly on water ... (For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.) ...

This story appears in the August 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine ... and soar to cliffside homes with a swan’s grace. There they land badly and bicker loudly. These are northern ...