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Trumpeter Swan
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| Trumpeter Swan ©
Jeff Lepore/Photo Researchers, Inc. Courtesy of eNature |
Species
description provided by eNature
Description
60-72" (1.5-1.8 m). One of North America's largest birds. Adult
similar to Tundra Swan but larger, with all-black bill. Young birds
dusky gray-brown; bill pink with black base and tip. Mute Swan (Cygnus
olor), an introduced species and a tame pond bird, is smaller,
with black knob at base of orange bill; holds neck in graceful curve.
Voice
A bugling ko-hoh, lower-pitched than Tundra Swan's call.
Habitat
Marshes, lakes, or rivers with dense vegetation.
Nesting
4-6 whitish eggs in a huge nest on a bulrush-covered island or a
beaver lodge.
Range
Breeds in southern Alaska, northern British Columbia, western Alberta,
Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Winters in southeastern Alaska,
western British Columbia, and on open water in United States breeding
range.
Discussion
Draining of marshes, hunting, and other disturbances, along with
a low rate of reproduction, brought the Trumpeter Swan close to
extinction by the beginning of this century. Conservation measures,
including reintroductions, have allowed it to increase from a very
small number in the 1930s to more than 6,000 today, with 4,500 of
these in Alaska.
