Toronto woman captures video of swans doing courtship dance and it's adorable

Anita Kapil was walking through Tommy Thompson Park with her sister on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 9 when she witnessed an incredible natural phenomenon taking place right before her eyes. 

Kapil told blogTO she often searches for swans when she visits the park as they tend to frequent the area, though she doesn't always catch them in the midst of an incredible courtship dance the way she did this week.

"Yesterday we were taken by their flight patterns over the lake and so [we] stopped to watch a little longer," she said.

"At first one pair of swans was honking at another pair from a distance, like a call and answer, and then finally the first pair flew over to stand in front of the second. At that point they began conversing, as captured by the video."

People in Toronto witnessed swans doing courtship dances at Tommy Thompson Park this week - 📹 Anita Kapil https://t.co/wDZkrgCACB #Toronto #TommyThompsonPark #Swans pic.twitter.com/yaQpqOKfIy

— blogTO (@blogTO) March 10, 2021

The Toronto resident said her first instinct was that the birds were performing a courtship dance, but it wasn't until she posted the video to the Beauty of the Don Facebook group that she knew for sure.

"They looked to be dancing, with their heads bobbing up and down," she said. 

According to The Trumpeter Swan Society, this kind of bird forms a very strong bond with their mate, and the pair will remain together for life under most circumstances.

"When they are two to three years old, trumpeters choose mates during highly vocal courtship displays," says the Toronto Zoo. "In one such display, called the 'triumph ceremony' the male and female face each other, raise their wings and call loudly."

Kapil said it was incredible to watch this process in real time, especially because of how in synch the "dance" appeared to be.

"It was an amazing feeling to witness this, we were awestruck," she said. "It was a gift. We will be returning for more!"