The mute swan is a symbol of beauty and elegance, thanks in no small part to the beloved fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling," about an awkward and unsightly duckling who upon growing up discovers he is actually a swan. The proverbial story is often used as a lesson in transformation and the relative nature of beauty. One glance at this swan, seen here holding a feather in a nature preserve in the Netherlands, and it"s easy to see how the idiom "graceful as a swan" came about.
Mute swan
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
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Hidden beauty in Thailand
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St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa
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Fly me to the moon
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Westerheversand Lighthouse
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Winter in the Finnish wilds
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Red squirrel
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Reflecting on Black History Month
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20 years later
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World Giraffe Day
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Northern hawk-owl
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A story of wind and ice
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Atlanta Botanical Garden
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State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
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A path to access
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National Take a Hike Day
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Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
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Just a couple of yellow-billed hornbills
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Springtime in the Mediterranean
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75th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
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Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
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International Whale Shark Day
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A good time in the Badlands
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Here there be dragons
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National Hummingbird Day
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Islands of the Salish Sea
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Venice by night
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Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China
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Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
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