(Cygnus buccinator)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Description |
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The bill is all black with no knob at the upper base and no yellow lores. |
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Size |
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60″ to 72″ in length 72″ to 84″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) bill is orange with a black knob at the upper base. It is a rare vagrant in eastern Minnesota. Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) is smaller and usually has yellow lores. It is much more common and widespread. |
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Habitat |
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Lakes and large wetlands |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Reintroduced. Widely scattered breeder. About 1,500 birds in the state. |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Anseriformes (ducks, geese, swans, and relatives) | ||
Family |
Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans) | ||
Subfamily | Anserinae (true geese and swans) | ||
Genus |
Cygnus (true swans) | ||
Synonyms |
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Olor buccinator |
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Glossary
Lores
Small patches of skin between a bird’s eye and bill, one below each eye.
Visitor Photos |
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Dan W. Andree |
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In calm waters early Spring 2021. |
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Trumpeter Swan in Flight.... Trumpeters are big and beautiful |
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Trumpeters are beautiful... |
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Pair of Trumpeters, Geese, 2 distant wood ducks and a pair of Sandhill Cranes across the water. |
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Canada geese and White as Snow Trumpeter Swans... |
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Trumpeter Swans in a harvested corn field... Seen them today in rural Norman Co. Mn. One is standing on one leg…resting the other I am thinking. |
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Luciearl |
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Trumpeter swan parents with three cygnets. They will stay until the day before the lake is completely iced over. |
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Some stand watch as others feed. |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Margot Avey |
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While walking yesterday, I happened upon Trumpeter Swans bathing & grooming. A spectacular event. I took photos of the entire event. |
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Gerry Garcia |
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Swans |
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Kirk Nelson |
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Swimming in Jensen Lake |
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Snelling Lake, Fort Snelling State Park |
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Christa Rittberg |
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Tom Baker |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Trumpeter Swan Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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Trumpeter Swans at Riverlands 11/20/16 Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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Trumpeter Swan JMC Nature Photos |
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Trumpeter Swans Craig A. Mullenbach |
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About
Most of these shots are taken in the old Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant around Lake Marsden. Mully410 Critical Blog |
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Visitor Videos |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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"Talking Trumpeters" Published on Mar 7, 2016 |
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About
The Trumpeter Swans have, and continue to make a comeback after nearly being hunted to extinction by the early 1900's. Large beautiful birds they can sometimes be quite vocal to each other. No idea what they were saying, but they obviously understand one another. Wind made it difficult filming at times. |
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"Trumpeter Swans" Published on Jan 16, 2016 |
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About
Nearly hunted to extinction by the early 1900's the Trumpeter Swan has made quite a comeback and I am glad they have. This brief video shows the Trumpeter Swans existing in their natural habitat along with ducks and geese etc. with a combination of natural swan sounds as well as instrumental music in areas. This is the first HD video of this type I have done using a DSLR camera with a 55-250mm zoom lens instead of a HD camcorder. |
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Other Videos |
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Ultimate Animal Dads: Trumpeter Swans Animal Planet |
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About
Uploaded on May 26, 2009 Get more at http://animal.discovery.com/videos/ Trumpeter Swan dads are loyal to their families, mating for life with the mother swans. |
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Trumpeter Swans jctiger00 |
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About
Uploaded on Apr 26, 2009 I have never heard anything like this. Birds can actually sound like a brass instrument. |
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Trumpeter Swans MObirds |
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About
Uploaded on Aug 31, 2007 http://www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/emobirds/ Trumpeter swans are much larger than any other species of waterfowl. Adult trumpeters will average about 30 pounds and have a seven foot wing span. Young swans, called cygnets, are easy to identify, because they're gray, not white, until they're a year old. Hunting in the 1800s drove trumpeter swans to the brink of extinction. Restoration efforts in the upper Midwest have led to increased sightings of swans in Missouri as they migrate through during fall and winter months. And several trumpeter families have been found wintering in different areas around Missouri. But until people get used to seeing them, waterfowl hunters need to be careful. Shooting a protected trumpeter swan can cost thousands of dollars in fines. |
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TheStar.com: Saving the Trumpeter Swan TorontoStarVideo |
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About
Uploaded on Mar 27, 2009 Thanks to the efforts of volunteers with the Trumpeter Swan Restoration project, the endangered trumpeter swan population in Ontario is now over 1,000. Long time volunteers Harry Lumsden, Beverly and Ray Kingdon feed the swans at Lasalle Park in Burlington. See thestar.com for more news and information. |
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The REAL Swan Lake: Trumpeter Swans by the Hundreds Taking Flight (HD) Meg McDonald |
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About
Published on Jan 9, 2013 At a tiny lake in northwestern Washington State, hundreds of wintering trumpeter swans rest every night (between December and early March) and fly out from the lake at dawn to feed in nearby farm fields. This is Shadow Lake at the Bob Heirman Wildlife Preserve in Snohomish County, and these trumpeter swans are part of the Pacific Coast population that breeds during summers in the interior of Alaska and spends winters along the Pacific Coast as far south as Eugene, Oregon. Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in North America. Unfortunately they were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1600s-1800s. Their long wing feathers were prized as elegant quill pens, and their skins were used to make cosmetic powder puffs. Today trumpeter swans are protected by law, but they're being poisoned by lead shot. Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting, but it still may be used to hunt upland birds and is also used for target practice. The swans pick up lead shot pellets when they feed in wetlands and in winter farm fields. (Shadow Lake, the swan roost in this video, has been tested and is free of lead contamination.) Please help protect these lovely, graceful birds by never using lead shot for hunting or for target practice. Use only NONTOXIC shot (such as stainless steel), and ask your friends to do the same. For more information about trumpeter swans, please visit www.trumpeterswansociety.org. Please visit my beautiful photography website http://www.wildnwbeauty.com and my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/WildNWBeauty for incredible high-resolution photographs of the majestic wild scenery and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest! You can find the music of Rho at http://full-source.com/nosource/netlabel/artists_rho.htm. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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Dan W. Andree Early Spring 2021 |
Location: A pond in Minnesota In calm waters early Spring 2021. |
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Dan W. Andree 3/13/2021 |
Location: A Wildlife Refuge in Norman County, Minnesota |
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Luciearl 12/10/2020 |
Location: Cass County Trumpeter swan parents with three cygnets. They will stay until the day before the lake is completely iced over. |
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Dan W. Andree 9/9/2020 |
Location: in the air over Norman Co. near Sandpiper Prairie SNA. Trumpeters are big and beautiful |
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Margot Avey 4/2/2020 |
Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center, St. Louis Park, MN While walking yesterday, I happened upon Trumpeter Swans bathing & grooming. A spectacular event. I took photos of the entire event. |
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Gerry Garcia 9/28/2019 |
Location: Vermillion River Watershed about 7miles SW of Crane Lake |
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Kirk Nelson 4/7/2019 |
Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park Swimming in Jensen Lake |
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Margot Avey 7/25/2019 |
Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center |
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Ramona Abrego 4/24/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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Margot Avey 4/19/2019 |
Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center |
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Margot Avey 4/18/2019 |
Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center |
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Dan W. Andree 4/4/2018 |
Location: rural Norman Co, Mn. Trumpeter Swans in a previously harvested corn field in rural Norman Co, Mn. 2018 |
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Dan W. Andree 4/1/2018 |
Location: Rural Norman Co. Mn. Pair of Trumpeters, Geese, 2 distant wood ducks and a pair of Sandhill Cranes across the water. Today (April 2, 2018) the water has froze there is a also a little more snow and they have gone elsewhere. |
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Dan W. Andree 3/30/2018 |
Location: rural Norman Co. Mn. |
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Dan W. Andree 3/25/2018 |
Location: rural Norman Co. Mn. One is standing on one leg…resting the other I am thinking. |
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Kirk Nelson 1/19/2016 |
Location: Snelling Lake, Fort Snelling State Park I tried to use the noise of the planes landing to cover the sound of my approach, but they became aware of me soon enough and gave a few warning honks. Still, I was able to approach slowly and get to about 30 yards from them. When I sat still to watch, they would tuck their heads back under their wings, but as soon as I started moving they perked up again. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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