This week I wanted to share some photos I took of Tundra Swans. I didn’t really know too much about swans besides the story of the Ugly Duckling so it was a great opportunity to learn more.
The images you see here were all taken in Yellowknife in the fall. I was surprised to see swans here in the fall as I have typically assumed migration to be over by September. Perhaps this is because birds are much quieter during this time. I’m not sure. I was happy to see them looking healthy and feeding enthusiastically in this small lake.
Tundra Swans are all white and their bill is mostly black and usually has a yellow spot at the base. Sometimes this can be hard to see and not every swan has a yellow spot. Some Trumpeter swans can also have a less defined yellow spot at the base of their bill. One way to distinguish which swan you are looking at is by size (Trumpeter Swans are larger) and the colour of the legs – Tundra Swans have black legs and feet where Trumpeter Swans with a yellow spot will have greyish or drab yellowish legs.
Swans have a tendency to form permanent pair bonds by the time they’re 2-3 years old. Once a pair forms, Tundra Swans feed and roost together year-round. The male swan is called a cob and the female is known as a pen. Both parents care for their young called cygnets until they are a year old.
Chicks emerge from the egg with their eyes open covered in light grey down. They have light pink legs and toes and are able to walk several hours after their down dries. A cygnet won’t fly until around 65 days after hatching and will be grey-tinged on the wings, head, and neck until they mature when they will have all-white plumage.
During the breeding season, the Tundra Swan sleeps almost entirely on land, but in the winter it sleeps more often on water. Tundra Swans are also known as “whistling swans” because there is a characteristic whistling in their wings.
There are elements that threaten the relatively stable populations of Tundra Swans. These include lead poisoning by spent shot, fishing sinkers, mine waste deposited in sediments, oil and gas drilling in arctic breeding habitats and loss of wetlands at migratory stopover sites.
Based on banding records, the oldest known Tundra Swan was a female and at least 23 years, 7 months old when she was identified by her band in the wild, in Ohio. She had been banded in the same state.
That’s all for this week I hope you enjoyed learning about Tundra Swans as much as I did. Thank you for spending part of your day here.