2024 TTSS News Archive

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: "These swans are migrating from summer habitats north of the GYE. According to YNP, this largest species of North American waterfowl need a long water runway when taking off and are attracted to ice-free portions of the Madison, Firehole and Yellowstone rivers, as well as the nearby Henry’s Fork of the Snake River in Island Park, Idaho.

This is one of few species that migrate into Yellowstone in winter, as opposed to heading farther south." Read more...

WEBINAR: Discover the fascinating results of the largest Midwest trumpeter swan study ever done!

Manitoba, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin and Arkansas used GPS/GSM tracking collars to track more than 100 trumpeter swans over 3 years.

Find how family status and latitude affected swan movements including fall migration departure and spring arrival dates. Discover the results of lead on the swans in the study.

Explore some of the individual stories, movements and photos of these GPS/GSM collared swans that were reported to the Trumpeter Swan Society.

WEBINAR: Answers to your swan questions! Learn about swan ID, where to see swans, swan families and what happens over a year as eggs are laid and cygnets hatch and grow, swan behaviors and communications, spring and fall migration, mute and trumpeter swan interactions and so much more.

ALASKA: "A song of survival and resurgence on Alaska's Wildlife Refuges". When you read this wonderful article by the Fish and Wildlife Service, you will also see fantastic photos of trumpeter swans, cygnets and the Alaskan wilderness.

WEBINAR: Trumpeter swans disappeared from Iowa by 1883. By the 20th century, this once wetland-rich state was transformed into an agricultural crop-rich state as wetlands were drained.

Explore how trumpeter swans became ambassadors for wetland conservation in Iowa.
You will also
• Be inspired by Iowa's engagement and education programs as swans were restored
• Learn about the migratory movements of Iowa trumpeter swans and the survival of cygnets in their first winter!

SASKATCHEWAN: "In a soon-to-be published paper, he and his co-authors said about 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) per year, based on 2001 to 2011 data, are drained across the Prairies. Much of that occurs in Saskatchewan.

The scientists studying the ecosystem impacts of drainage in the prairie pothole region found decisions to drain are often made without considering those impacts.

Whitfield said they found more nutrients move downstream and there is loss of dabbling ducks and wetland birds, loss of habitat and changes in the hydrological regime even at low levels of drainage." Read more...

ARKANSAS: Did you know that a lake in Heber Springs, Arkansas is the landing spot for more than 100 trumpeter swans yearly from November through February?

If you are an avid birdwatcher then Magness Lake, a U-shaped extension of the Little Red River will be descended upon by the trumpeter flock of birds migrating from the Midwest for the upcoming winter. The birds come to Arkansas to settle down for the winter months and have been doing so since the 1990s.

Read more to see where swans are in the area and to see photos...

IDAHO: Zoo Idaho has partnered with the Trumpeter Swan Society, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and multiple zoos from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums from across the US on the Oregon Restoration Project. The goal is to help improve trumpeter swan populations in Oregon. Zoo Idaho housed 19 Trumpeter Swans in the wetland area over the past winter before relocating them to the Summer Lake Wildlife Area, Oregon.

On the morning of June 28, the 19 swans at Zoo Idaho with an additional six swans from the Wyoming Wetland Society were transported to Summer Lake Wildlife Area where they were processed, collared, and released Saturday, June 29. Read more and see more photos...

OREGON: unriver Nature Center has confirmed that five baby trumpeter swans — also known as cygnets — hatched at Lake Aspen last weekend.

The cygnets were hatched June 8 by resident trumpeter swans Gus and Valentina. Since 2015, when the Sunriver Nature Center introduced the resident mating pair Chuck and Gracie, 11 cygnets from the nature center have been released at Summer Lake Wildlife Area through Oregon’s Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program. ..

Birds and Blooms: TTSS board member Dan Casey explains how to identify a trumpeter swan

YUKON: "There are no shortage of camera lenses trained on the trumpeter and tundra swans that pass through the Whitehorse and southern lakes region of the Yukon each spring on their migration north. Whitehorse-based nature photographer Peter Mather thought there were still shots going uncaptured despite all the interest in the migrating birds, so he spent a month this spring photographing the swans as much as he could.

In pursuit of unique swan photos, usually taken from eye-level with the birds as they fed or rested on water bodies in the southern Yukon, Mather used a variety of techniques. He used remote cameras, underwater housings and white blankets as camouflage. He described camping out near common migration stops before inching his way out to the waters’ edge hours before dawn and waiting for the swans to come in close. " Click to see the photos

Webinar: Explore how this park became a vital refuge for trumpeter swans during a period of perilous decline in the early 20th century, with just 70 known individuals remaining in the continental United States by 1933, a substantial portion of which found sanctuary within Yellowstone's borders. Journey through the ebbs and flows of swan populations within the park, from their flourishing numbers before the 1960s to the challenges faced in recent decades.

Learn about Yellowstone's proactive conservation strategies and ongoing research endeavors aimed at ensuring the enduring presence of the iconic trumpeter swan within its boundaries.

ALASKA: . A recent Audubon analysis found that 1% of trumpeter swans pass through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. "Nature lovers said the findings speak to the wealth of the Chilkat Valley’s ecosystem.

“The numbers are super validating and really exciting,” said Stacie Evans, a biologist for Takshanuk Watershed Council who was not involved with the research. “We call (the Chilkat Valley) the land of superlatives. Every year I study here, it seems like we rack up another one.”

IDAHO: "POCATELLO — Zoo Idaho has started a restoration project that will help increase the number of trumpeter swans living in the wild.

Zoo Idaho Superintendent Peter Pruett said the project initially started in 2018. They hoped to be able to start two years ago, but they had to push it back due to rising cases of avian influenza. Pruett said a group of trumpeter swans will come to the zoo in October where they will stay during the winter. They will then be relocated to Oregon the following June." Read more...

MONTANA: "A half-century after the Swan River National Wildlife Refuge was officially designated to preserve this ecologically rich chunk of northwest Montana, local stakeholders have worked to restore its natural state." Read the article and enjoy the beautiful photos and story!

MINNESOTA: "Earlier this year, two trumpeter swans were brought in just days apart to WRC. The majority of feathers on both wings of one swan and half of the other were severely tattered, possibly from hitting power lines, but no one knows for sure. Regardless, not flying means not surviving. It quickly became obvious that "imping" was in order for the swans – which is basically a feather transplant." Read how the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of MN teamed up with the Bell Museum for a 'feather transplant."

YUKON: "The loudest sign of spring in southern Yukon is the return of the trumpeter swans. Thousands take a rest and refuel in M'Clintock Bay. As the CBC's Cheryl Kawaja reports, this year, they're ahead of schedule." Watch the video

OHIO: "Ohio Wildlife Council has voted to remove the trumpeter swan from the state’s threatened species list. The delisting culminates a 28-year effort by the ODNR Division of Wildlife to restore a population of trumpeter swans in Ohio.

Ohio’s trumpeter swan population today stands at nearly 900, with swans nesting in 26 different counties." Read more...

Discover the captivating history of overwintering Trumpeter Swans at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary near St. Louis, Missouri. Dive into their significance in the Mississippi flyway. Learn how swans are monitored and counted at Riverlands and when the best times are to see swans. Discover the broad array of swan programs and experiences offered at this Audubon center to thousands of visitors each year. And much more!

Read how Ontario's swans went from zero to 3,000.

IDAHO: " A talented young artist from New Plymouth, Idaho has won the 2024 Idaho Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. 17-year-old Hazel Black's rendering of a trumpeter swan impressed viewers across the state, now it's heading to Washington D.C. for the National competition." Read more and see the drawing

ALBERTA: Read about returning swans, melting snow, heat, puddles and birds on the move...

Dive into the world of Rocky Mountain swans in this webinar, "Swan Central- Harriman State Park of Idaho." Learn about the park’s role as a sanctuary for nesting trumpeter swans and a crucial wintering ground for Rocky Mountain swans from the USA and Canada.

Discover the impact of past events on the swan population and the efforts to rescue and relocate swans during harsh conditions in 1988 and 1989. Explore the importance of vital aquatic foods for swans across North America.

UTAH: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources shares where to see migrating trumpeter and tundra swans migrating in Utah. "Both tundra swans and trumpeter swans stop in Utah's wetlands for some much-needed rest and refueling during their migration north in the spring. Trumpeter swans are significantly larger than tundra swans. Trumpeter swans do not have a yellow-colored area near their eyes, and they also make a distinctive trumpet-like sound, hence their name. The bird's spring migration takes the swans from wintering grounds in California to nesting sites in Canada and Alaska." There is swan viewing at the Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and DWR's Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area. Read more...

Ducks Unlimited Dr. John Coluccy, director of conservation planning in DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, shares the story of the return of trumpeter swans.

ONTARIO: Bev Kingdon has put more than 30 years into making sure the area's Trumpeter Swans thrive. "There is good reason why the magnificent birds are so fond of her — Bev has been visiting the park for more than 30 years as part of a provincewide restoration project that brought trumpeter swans back from the edge of extinction.

Today, thanks to her dedication and the efforts of many others, more than 2,500 trumpeter swans are alive in Ontario. And the ambitious tagging and banding of the birds has resulted in one of the largest catalogues of a single species anywhere in the world." Read more...

ARKANSAS: Heber Springs offers a double dose of delight for residents and visitors alike. Trumpeter swans are in Heber Springs area from late November through Valentine's Day. Read more...

Swans in the Yukon- Migration Delight (webinar)
Swans are an extremely important conservation and cultural icon in Yukon Territory. Here’s your chance to learn more about swans in this remote part of the continent!

Yukon swan experts use the multimedia wonders of Zoom to share their knowledge of swan identification, populations, nesting, behavior, and migration.

Learn about Yukon’s amazing natural spring migration areas where thousands of Trumpeter Swans gather. Be inspired by the annual Yukon Celebration of Swans which has become a rite of spring for thousands of Yukoners of all ages each year.

Presented by:
Margaret Campbell, Wildlife Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service
Jim Hawkings, Wildlife Biologist (CWS retired) and TTSS Board member
Karen McColl, Wildlife Viewing Specialist, Government of Yukon

BRITISH COLUMBIA: "Beginning in November every year, residents in the qathet region are treated to the sight of trumpeter swans arriving from their summer nesting grounds in the Arctic." Read more...

WYOMING: Learn how trumpeter swans court during late winter.

ONTARIO: Tommy Thompson Park is a great place to see swans and ducks. "The true highlight of my excursion, however, was just off Unwin Avenue, where an avian ballet unfolded. The area was host to an array of ducks, swans, and even a few harriers, all dancing through the air and across the water as if performing just for me." Read more...

WASHINGTON: Fir Island. Skagit county, Washington.

"Bird activity on the Skagit flats winds down in February as winter migrants head back north for the breeding season. Nevertheless it’s always worth making a stop there. Fir Island is our go-to destination, so I consider it my “backyard”, a regular place to observe nature and wildlife. As to it being an island — that’s only in the sense it’s bordered by the channeled north and south forks of the Skagit river (bridges over both) and Skagit bay, a triangle of flatland river delta. But one which is a magnet for wildlife of many kinds, the most visible and dramatic being the wintering birds." Read more...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: Yellowstone’s Birds, only the third book published on birds in Yellowstone’s history, is aimed at increasing visibility of avian species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The comprehensive guide presents untold stories and critical issues related to ecology, natural history and conservation, along with birding tips. Douglas Smith, former wildlife biologist for Yellowstone National Park (YNP) who has worked with wolves since 1994 and birds since 2008, is an editor of the book. Smith calls trumpeter swans an iconic species in the GYE, one of the reasons he says they’re featured on the book’s cover. He attributes their significance to the fact that the GYE was the last stronghold of trumpeter swans in the lower 48. In 1935, when Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was created for trumpeter swan conservation, the species was thought to be gone everywhere else. Read more...

Learn how the late Harry Lumsden led the restoration of trumpeter swans to Ontario and received one of Canada’s highest awards for his efforts; how, when and where wing tags are put on Ontario trumpeter swans; the near and far way places Ontario’s trumpeter swans have been reported in Canada and the USA, and much more!

Presented by:
Kyna Intini, Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario (TSCO)
Ken Abraham, Emeritus Research Scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, TSCO and Trumpeter Swan Society Board member
Gary Lane, Ontario Trumpeter Swan locations data manager

This webinar is an educational program of the Trumpeter Swan Society

MONTANA: Blackfoot Challenge. "The Blackfoot Challenge recently learned of the deaths of four trumpeter swan cygnets hatched to Blackfoot swan 3A6 in Sheridan, Wyoming. Swan 3A6 was released in the Blackfoot in 2016 and nested in the Sheridan area this year. The cygnets were determined to have died of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or avian flu...waterfowl (birds like ducks, geese, swans, coots, grebes, etc.), some raptor species (especially red-tailed hawks, bald eagles and great horned owls), and scavengers like ravens, crows and magpies are more susceptible and experiencing higher mortalities." Read more...

MISSOURI: "The decades long effort by conservationists to save and boost trumpeter swans in the Midwest continues to show progress. A weekly waterfowl survey tallied 4,199 trumpeters on Jan. 4 using wetlands at the Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge in Holt County. Once almost extinct in the Lower 48 states, their numbers are being brought back thanks to wetland and migratory bird conservation efforts.

The 4,199 trumpeter swans counted on Jan. 4 was a new record count for Loess Bluffs, said William Kutosky, refuge manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The refuge’s staff surveys the waterfowl and eagle populations weekly during winter." Read more...

ONTARIO: "Crowds of people dropped by LaSalle Park Marina today to enjoy some January sunshine and visit the wintering Trumpeter swans. It was a perfect day for families and photographers to enjoy the wonder of the beautiful swans." Audio and photos available. Read more...