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| Darlyne and Dean Milner about to release their black swans (Willie and Ethel) in May 1997. Tim Hajek is in the middle. | Willie
stretches his wings while Ethel |
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| Willie and Ethel on the lake (before the flood). | |||
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information from the Milner's: Tragically, Willie and Ethel both died during the summer of 1997, reportedly killed by dogs. Black swans are originally from Australia. Willie & Ethel came from an exotic bird sanctuary near Scottsbluff. They were a 50th wedding anniversary gift to the Milner's from Darlyne's brother, Gene, and his family (wife, Jane; daughter, Nicole, son-in-law, Steve; and, granddaughter, Malaika). It takes 2-3 years for a black swan to reach reproduction maturity, and they nest any time of year. An adult has an average wingspan of 45-55". An average adult female weighs about 11.25 lbs. The adult male averages about 13.8 lbs. Willie and Ethel were from two different hatches. |
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