MINNESOTA: The Mississippi River near Monticello, the Otter Tail River in Fergus Falls, and the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the Twin Cities rank among popular viewing areas, but they may be sighted on any generous stretch of open water statewide. Apps such as eBird and iNaturalist track recent swan sightings.

ARKANSAS: When Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis visited Magness Lake this weekend, he saw plenty of swans, more than a few ring-neck ducks and even a few seagulls paddling about in the water. As he stood among a few other birders, he captured the haunting sound of the winter visitors.

PENNSYLVANIA: A rare and exciting bird visitor has excited residents in Pennsylvania. Read more...

In February 2023, a dozen swans were captured and received GPS collars at Oregon’s Summer Lake Wildlife Area and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Biologists wanted to know where these swans spend the summer, their migration routes in spring and fall, and if they raised families.

This webinar highlights how and where the swans were captured and collared. Then we explore some of the results, teaching you how to use GoogleEarth and the GPS data to discover:
• How to see the wetlands where the swans were captured and collared- from a bird’s eye view to a landscape street view.
• How to do simple calculations like a biologist to determine flight speed, temperatures, distances and altitude.

WISCONSIN: “Yesterday we had an unusual request for assistance. Members of the public witnessed a swan that was frozen to the ice on the St. Croix River. The local conservation warden was unavailable, and not wanting citizens to try and perform a rescue themselves, Hudson Fire sent a crew to help out. We were successful in bringing the swan to shore to receive care from citizens. This is not something we would normally do, but risk the vs reward in preventing someone from the public falling through the ice was worth it. Remember, ice is never completely safe, especially in the river where the currents are always moving.”

IOWA: A Northern Iowa natural sanctuary increasingly looks like a graveyard as bird flu spreads through its waterfowl.

Sweet Marsh, a wetland northeast of Tripoli, welcomes Canada geese, trumpeter swans and dabbling ducks. However, these three types of birds are succumbing to bird flu at rapid rates. Read more...

MISSOURI: When to go and where to see trumpeter swans at Riverlands Bird Sanctuary near St. Louis, Missouri. "Ken Buchholz says the trumpeters are a seasonal signal from the earth, and that trekking out to see them is a tradition in some families. “You know winter is on its way when you start seeing the trumpeter swans come,” he says. “They have this crazy sound when they’re all coming in for landing, and when they take off out on the bay, you can hear their feet paddling in the water, and it’s an 80-yard takeoff. They’re really elegant birds. And then you know they’re going to leave—you’re going to say goodbye to them. There are people that come up here every year to see the swans. It’s sort of a ritual.” Read the guide and learn when and where to see the swans!