Prehistoric yes…but scary?! I sat next to these dudes, who was just fishing off the dock like any other grocery shopper. Just look at those cute faces with a giant barb at the end of their beaks! 
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Discussion
They are kind of silly looking, but purpose built.
When I was 11 and about the same size as one of these sky puppies, I was chased through the zoo by one. He was flapping his wings and beak at me, extending his gullet thing, I was screaming and crying, folks were laughing and taking pictures.
Oh no! Reason enough to feel the way you do!!! My little 7 yro cousin from New Hampshire was with us at Mount Vernon many years ago where some geese went AWOL and scarred her (and several adults) for life. Swans can be beastly too, besides being such a $%!+coin because they look so pretty and peaceful, which they are most assuredly not. They act ugly, sound dreadful, and stretch their necks out rudely like feathered snakes. Best barbecued!