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The Trumpeter Swan Society

The Trumpeter Swan Society continues to work on swan restorations including the Oregon Restoration Project, a partnership between TTSS, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

What we do

"I have witnessed trumpeters flying into a wetland unexpectedly out of the winter sky - it is magical." J.C.

"You do amazing miracles for these magnificent birds. Thank you for everything and all your progress." G.H.

Learn how you can make swan friendly habitat

Photograph by Kim Stevenson

Private wetlands for Trumpeter Swans

If you build it, will they come?

What better seal of approval could there be for your conservation efforts than to have a Trumpeter Swan pair choose your wetland and nest successfully?

How can you attract nesting Trumpeters? Sometimes the work involves constructing a new wetland or improving an existing site.

Sometimes, nothing more is needed than to prudently curtail human activities in the pond vicinity. This gives Trumpeter Swans adequate security for nesting and brood rearing. Can you imagine the thrill of fledging wild swans as the fruit of your labors and waiting eagerly for their return in the spring?

If you live in an area where Trumpeters nest and would like to explore the potential for your wetland to support successful nesting, helpful information is here.

Two of Wyoming's foremost Trumpeter Swan biologists have written a wonderful guide for improving swan nesting wetlands that we highly recommend.

Nesting Platform

You may be interested in building a nesting platform to attract trumpeter swans.

Here are two  DIY options

Photograph by Carl Woodward

Restoration and Management

Our swan program areas include those portions of the United States and Canada that provide habitat for nesting, migrating and wintering Trumpeter Swans, including Alaska, the Yukon, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada, the Midwest and Ontario.

The Oregon Restoration Project, a parternship between TTSS, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service is restoring Oregon's natural heritage. You can choose to support the Oregon Restoration Project in a "Pick a Project"

Summer Lake Wildlife Area in south central Oregon is a release site in our Oregon Restoration Project. Trumpeter Swans released in the project receive green neck collars. Photograph by Gary Ivey

Oregon Restoration Project

Through our donors' support, we are bringing back Oregon's natural heritage. Trumpeter Swans disappeared from Oregon by the late 1800s.

In 2009, driven by a reaffirmed desire to restore and maintain Trumpeter Swans in Oregon, we began releasing birds at Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Our goal is to restore a healthy, viable, and sustainable breeding population of Trumpeter Swans to eastern Oregon.

The Oregon Restoration Project is our partnership with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goal of the Project is to reach the Pacific Flyway objectives for the state (at least 15 breeding pair and 75 adults).

Young swans from the partners, including zoos, are released into the wild at Summer Lake Wildlife Area.  We had reports of earlier-released swans from Summer Lake being reported in western Oregon, Montana and British Columbia.  The project is also tracking wintering swans using GPS/GSM collars to track their migrations and nesting sites. These swans spend the summer in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, northern British Columbia and various western states.

As a donor, you make sure this valuable partnership project will restore swans to Oregon.

Habitat Security

Flock isolation is a serious habitat concern in the U.S. Rocky Mountain Population

Trumpeter Swans at Camas National Wildlife Refuge, Idaho. Photograph by Margaret Smith

We work with many partners on habitat security.  For example, decreasing winter habitat in the Pacific northwest is becoming a critical issue especially as dairy farm numbers decline.  Dairy farms provide waterfowl-friendly winter habitat as birds, such as swans, feed on waste grain, potatoes, etc.  The decreasing availability of winter habitat is a serious threat for the Pacific Coast Population of Trumpeter Swans. We are working with partners on this important and complex issue.

We are also working to reduce flock isolation in the United States Rocky Mountain Population, which we believe is one of the reasons for the low rate of growth of this population of less than 800 white swans despite decades of restoration and management efforts.

Participation at Flyway and related meetings

Your support makes it possible for us to attend North American Flyway meetings and participate in the Flyway discussions for each Population (Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, and Interior).

We are on the Swan Committee of each Flyway where decisions about Trumpeter Swan management and restorations are made.  We are your voice to assure the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swans in each Flyway and for each Population. We bring our decades of biological swan expertise to offer input and recommendations on swan issues.

We are on the Greater Yellowstone Working Group which works within the Pacific Flyway on issues particular to the United States Rocky Mountain Population, including distribution of cygnets for restoration projects (e.g., Oregon Restoration Project).

  • There are 4 North American Flyways: Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic. Decisions about migratory birds, including Trumpeter Swans, are made within the Flyway system. The Trumpeter Swan Society is on the Swan Committee of each Flyway, being your voice to assure the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swans.

    North American Flyways- where swan management and restoration decisions are made
    North American Flyways- where swan management and restoration decisions are made

    The Pacific Coast Population and the Rocky Mountain Population are managed through the Pacific Flyway.
    The Interior Population of Trumpeter Swans is managed through three Flyways: Central, Mississippi and Atlantic.

  • Trumpeter Swans are in all 4 Flyways and it is the Flyways that manage the three Trumpeter Swan Populations: Pacific Coast Population, Rocky Mountain Population, Interior Population

    Three Trumpeter Swan Populations
    Three Trumpeter Swan Populations

    The Pacific Flyway manages the Pacific Coast Population and the Rocky Mountain Population.
    The Interior Population of Trumpeter Swans is managed through three Flyways: Central, Mississippi and Atlantic.

Research Projects

For 50 years, we have shared research and findings at our Swan Conferences that have been integral to agency restoration programs and management decisions. We also help to fund swan research that informs swan managers' knowledge and decisions.

Our current research partnership projects will give us and swan managers new knowledge about the breeding success of the High Plains Flock and a three year look at the use of the landscape by Iowa swans.

Collaboration with Partners

We work with many partners on Trumpeter Swan related restoration and management issues including National Wildlife Refuges, national parks, state and federal agencies, nonprofits including land trusts, community groups, zoos, universities, and individuals. Our North American Swan Fund is used in part to assist habitat and research partner projects.

 

It is you, our donors, who make it possible for The Trumpeter Swan Society to assure the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swans. 

Would you like to help our Restoration and Management programs? It's easy!

Pick a Project. (Oregon Restoration Project; Area of Greatest Need; North American Swan Fund). 

Become a member. 

Updates about progress and partners in our restoration and management programs are shared through our member newsletter, Trumpetings.

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