{"id":2528,"date":"2019-11-01T18:26:28","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T18:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=2528"},"modified":"2019-11-08T20:26:21","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T20:26:21","slug":"trumpeter-swans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2019\/11\/01\/trumpeter-swans\/","title":{"rendered":"Trumpeter Swans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello, welcome here! I\u2019d like to share with you something about one of my favorite birds which I suspect you may be familiar with: the legendary Trumpeter Swan. Trumpeter Swans are flipping amazing. To start with, they have the most epic Latin name: Cygnus buccinator (basically a gladiator name). On top of that, they happen to be the LARGEST living bird native to NORTH AMERICA, and the LARGEST waterfowl on the PLANET weighing up to 17kg with a wingspan up to 2.5 meters! (Kay, 2012) If you need any more convincing of their awesomeness, consider the fact that their population dropped to only 69 individuals in the wild in the mid 20th century and have rebounded to healthy populations again, a conservation success! (Mitchel 2010) Ironically, one of the contributing factors to their happy return is they appear to be one of the lucky few who are benefiting from climate change: expanding summer ranges! Survival of the giant bugling white mammoth water bird!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trumpeter Swans are monogamous and return to the same breeding grounds year after year ( https:\/\/hamiltonagingtogether.ca\/event\/trumpeter-swans-their-place-mythology\/<\/a> )<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Description\/ identification:
If you live anywhere from the far Pacific northwest to the lower US Midwest, you\u2019ve likely seen these graceful giants resting in open farmers fields or along ice-free waterways in the winter, or heard their distinctive French horn bugle as they migrate their way north or south in a staggered flight pattern. Their large body size and entirely white plumage are unmistakable, along with their deep black eyes and large black bill and legs in mature individuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trumpeter swan call (https:\/\/www.audubon.org\/sites\/default\/files\/TRUSWA_1.calls_MItm_1.mp3?uuid=5dc5c6cb03419<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other possible species that could potentially be miss-identified as trumpeter swans include the tundra swan, mute swan, and the snow goose. Tundra swan and trumpeter swan, although visually very similar, historically have inhabited separate geographical regions and therefore are typically not misidentified. However, this may become more likely as summer ranges of the trumpeter swan continue to increase northward into the habitat of the tundra swans. Luckily the isolated black eye in white plumage, concave shape of the bill, and the distinctive yellow lore of the tundra swan can be used to distinguish them from Trumpeter Swans. The Mute Swan, a species originally from Europe and introduced to North America, differs from the Trumpeter Swan by the orange color of its bill and knob on its forehead. Although not a Swan, occasionally the snow goose could be confused with the Trumpeter Swan but can be easily distinguished by its pink bill and much smaller size (Kiley 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to tell white birds apart (https:\/\/dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com\/2018\/04\/09\/4-ways-to-tell-apart-swans-and-snow-geese\/<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Distribution:
Trumpeter swans are typically either permanent residents or medium distance migrators. For the migrating populations, their summer breeding grounds range from pockets in the Midwest and central\/northern BC to vast tracks in northern Alaska. The migrating birds from the Alaskan coast typically winter over in the temperate Pacific Northwest, while migrating populations from the Alaskan and BC interiors typically winter over in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Non-migrating populations of Trumpeter Swans lay scattered in the inter-mountainous regions throughout the west. (Mitchell. 2012)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trumpeter Swan Distribution (https:\/\/birdsna.org\/Species-Account\/bna\/species\/truswa\/introduction<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Habitat:
Trumpeter Swans usually prefer shallow undisturbed freshwater with lots of aquatic vegetation to feed on. Because of their huge size and high aspect ratio wings, Trumpeter swans need at least 90 meters to take off into flight. This, therefore, restricts their ability to live in thickly wooded regions or small ponds surrounded by tall vegetation. Pairs mate together year after year in the same nest, which they often hijack from muskrats or beavers\u2019 dens on rises of land in shallow waters (Mitchell et al 2010). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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