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The Black Swan is protected in NSW under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (s.5). It is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Black Swan is almost exclusively herbivorous, and while there is some regional and seasonal variation, the diet is generally dominated by aquatic and marshland plants. In New South Wales the leaf of reedmace (genus Typha) is the most important food of birds in wetlands, followed by submerged algae and aquatic plants like Vallisneria. In Queensland aquatic plants like Potamogeton and stoneworts and algae are the dominant foods. The exact composition varies with water level, in flood situations where normal foods are out of reach Black Swans will feed on pasture plants on shore.[11] The Black Swan feeds in a similar manner to other swans. When feeding in shallow water it will dip its head and neck under the water, and it is able to keep its head flat against the bottom while keeping its body horizontal. In deeper water the bird up-ends to reach lower. Black Swans are also able to filter feed at the water's surface.