Trumpeter Swan

(Cygnus buccinator)

Conservation Status
Trumpeter Swan
Photo by Christa Rittberg
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N4B, N4N - Apparently Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

S2B, SNRN, SNRM - Imperiled Breeding, Unranked Breeding and Migrant

 
  Minnesota

Special Concern

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

 
           
 
Description
 
 

The bill is all black with no knob at the upper base and no yellow lores.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

60 to 72 in length

72 to 84 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

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.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Lakes and large wetlands

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

 

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Reintroduced. Widely scattered breeder.

The Trumpeter Swan population in Minnesota is estimated to be 30,000 birds in 2022.

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Anseriformes (waterfowl)  
 

Family

Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans)  
  Subfamily Anserinae (true geese and swans)  
 

Genus

Cygnus (true swans)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Olor buccinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 
 

Trumpeter Swans at a pond in Norman Co. Mn...

The trumpeter swans have pretty much regrown their new feathers from Summer molting, but they were still loosing a few small feathers during grooming/ preening in this photo. The one with that is seen with wings open was flapping them a couple times and a small white feather dropped out. You can see it midway to the ground under the right side wing area. The swan second from the right has a small feather temporarily stuck on its beak. That sometimes happens during the grooming/preening. I’ve seen them shake their heads trying to get one off. Sometimes they do fall off, other times a dip in the water works. 😊

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Trumpeter Swans....

… The adult female is the one on the left and the adult male trumpeter toward the right. They are really family oriented so to speak. Really responsible and caring for their young.

Beautiful too!

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Adult male Trumpeter Swan & 6 little Trumpeters....

June 2022 on a calm pond in Norman Co. Mn.

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Adult Male Trumpeter Swan with 6 little trumpeters...

This season is the first time I came across a pair of trumpeter swans that built a nest at the edge of a pond. The weather this spring was quite rainy, cooler and windier than most. Seemed more like May showers to bring June flowers. Slower to green up.

The pond water kept rising after each torrential rains and the nest which was once attached to the shoreline became an island. The female would take cattail reeds etc. and build the nest higher and higher as the pond continued to rise throughout the month of May 2022. Not to mention winds and colder temps didn’t make things easier. Anyway to my surprise the female was determined to hatch those eggs and did hatch the 6 eggs that were in the nest. This is the adult male taking all six for a outing on the pond on a calm day(finally a calm one) it gave the female trumpeter time for herself. I also noticed that once all 6 got back into the nest with the female the male would pull cattail reeds, mud etc. and threw it on the sides of the nest making it more secure. Amazing how responsible and caring the adult trumpeter swans are toward their young and each other.

 
 

This image is a frame grab from 4k video I filmed of them on a pond in Norman co. Mn. June 9, 2022. They are a couple days old here. This particular adult pair know me really well. They visited this pond over the past few years or so but this is the first time I seen them nest here. They are very calm around me and do not see me as a threat of any sort. To me that is a real gift. If they were to get anxious or disturbed by my presence I would stay away but they accept me as just another non-threatening thing out in nature.

  Trumpeter Swan  
       
           
 

Trumpeter Swans at Nest...

I came across this pair of nesting Trumpeter Swans recently out in rural Norman Co. Mn. A redwing blackbird just happened to be there adding interest to the scene. The female trumpeter on the nest had a small feather on the far side of her beak. She had been preening and a small feather stuck to it. Some seasons I had seen larger feathers temporarily stuck to the beak of a swan that was preening. Along the shoreline of a few ponds where swans have been sometimes I had noticed several smaller white feathers scattered here and there from previous swans preening.

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Pair of Trumpeter Swans and a Greater Yellowlegs...

... the swan was preening its feathers while I was filming it and this yellowlegs decided to investigate. It walked over to the far right side of the swan paused briefly to look at the swan then walked back the direction it came out of the scene.

... lighting wasn’t bad and light winds as well as approachable trumpeters was a memorable experience and the yellowlegs added its curious character making it better.

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

In calm waters early Spring 2021.

 
    Trumpeter Swan      
           
    Trumpeter Swan      
           
 

Trumpeter Swan in Flight....

Trumpeters are big and beautiful

  Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Trumpeters are beautiful...

 
    Trumpeter Swan      
           
  Pair of Trumpeters, Geese, 2 distant wood ducks and a pair of Sandhill Cranes across the water.   Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Canada geese and White as Snow Trumpeter Swans...

 
    Canada Goose      
           
 

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.

  Trumpeter Swan  
 

Luciearl

 
  Trumpeter swan parents with three cygnets. They will stay until the day before the lake is completely iced over.   Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Some stand watch as others feed.

 
    Trumpeter Swan      
 

Ramona Abrego

 
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
 

Margot Avey

 
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
           
    Trumpeter Swan      
           
  While walking yesterday, I happened upon Trumpeter Swans bathing & grooming. A spectacular event. I took photos of the entire event.   Trumpeter Swan  
           
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
 

Gerry Garcia

 
 

Swans

 
    Trumpeter Swan      
 

Kirk Nelson

 
 

Swimming in Jensen Lake

 
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
           
 

Snelling Lake, Fort Snelling State Park

 
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
           
    Trumpeter Swan      
 

Christa Rittberg

 
    Trumpeter Swan      
 

Tom Baker

 
    Trumpeter Swan   Trumpeter Swan  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
Trumpeter Swan
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
  Trumpeter Swan  
Trumpeter Swans at Riverlands 11/20/16
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
  Trumpeter Swans at Riverlands 11/20/16  
Trumpeter Swan
JMC Nature Photos
  Trumpeter Swan  
Trumpeter Swans
Craig A. Mullenbach
  Trumpeter Swans  
 
About

Most of these shots are taken in the old Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant around Lake Marsden.

Mully410 Critical Blog
A blog for smart people. Stupid people will probably get a headache reading here (unless they stick to the flickr links...pretty pictures).

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this bird.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

Kirk Nelson

 
  0:04 / 0:30 Trumpeter Swans, MN Valley NWR - Long Meadow Lake Unit
Jul 23, 2022
 
   
 
About

Seen just off the Bluff Trail a little ways southwest of the parking lot at the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge.

   
 

Dan W. Andree

 
  "Trumpeter Swans" filmed by Dan W Andree 2022
Nov 6, 2022
 
   
 
About

Meet the Trumpeters... This family of trumpeter swans were enjoying a couple fairly calm days on the pond. A lot of nature sounds at the time of this filming. The adult male would take all six little trumpeters (cygnets) out on the pond while the adult female took a break and time for herself. Then she too would join the rest as you will see near the end. A tightly bonded caring group they were. Hope you enjoy this.

   
       
  "Early Spring 2021 at the Pond"
Nov 11, 2021
 
   
 
About

Ponds and other natural bodies of water are critical habitat for trumpeter swans, geese, ducks etc. The video shows that and also 3 young trumpeter swans come in for a landing, and some Tundra swans taking off. Remnants of thin ice with a swan and geese walking & floating on. Filmed early spring at a pond in Minnesota. "Hope you enjoy this"

   
       
  "Talking Trumpeters"
Published on Mar 7, 2016
 
   
 
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.

   
       
  "Trumpeter Swans"
Published on Jan 16, 2016
 
   
 
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.

   
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Ultimate Animal Dads: Trumpeter Swans
Animal Planet
 
   
 
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.

 
  Trumpeter Swans
jctiger00
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Apr 26, 2009

I have never heard anything like this. Birds can actually sound like a brass instrument.

 
  Trumpeter Swans
MObirds
 
   
 
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.

 
  The REAL Swan Lake: Trumpeter Swans by the Hundreds Taking Flight (HD)
Meg McDonald
 
   
 
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.

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Dan W. Andree
9/21/2023

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

The trumpeter swans have pretty much regrown their new feathers from Summer molting, but they were still loosing a few small feathers during grooming/ preening in this photo. The one with that is seen with wings open was flapping them a couple times and a small white feather dropped out. You can see it midway to the ground under the right side wing area. The swan second from the right has a small feather temporarily stuck on its beak. That sometimes happens during the grooming/preening. I’ve seen them shake their heads trying to get one off. Sometimes they do fall off, other times a dip in the water works. 😊

Trumpeter Swan  
  Kirk Nelson
7/23/2022

Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Long Meadow Lake Unit

Seen just off the Bluff Trail a little ways southwest of the parking lot at the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge.

 
  Dan W. Andree
June 2022

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

June 2022 on a calm pond in Norman Co. Mn.

Trumpeter Swan  
  Dan W. Andree
6/9/2022

Location: Norman Co., Mn.

This season is the first time I came across a pair of trumpeter swans that built a nest at the edge of a pond. The weather this spring was quite rainy, cooler and windier than most. Seemed more like May showers to bring June flowers. Slower to green up.

The pond water kept rising after each torrential rains and the nest which was once attached to the shoreline became an island. The female would take cattail reeds etc. and build the nest higher and higher as the pond continued to rise throughout the month of May 2022. Not to mention winds and colder temps didn’t make things easier. Anyway to my surprise the female was determined to hatch those eggs and did hatch the 6 eggs that were in the nest. This is the adult male taking all six for a outing on the pond on a calm day(finally a calm one) it gave the female trumpeter time for herself. I also noticed that once all 6 got back into the nest with the female the male would pull cattail reeds, mud etc. and threw it on the sides of the nest making it more secure. Amazing how responsible and caring the adult trumpeter swans are toward their young and each other.

This image is a frame grab from 4k video I filmed of them on a pond in Norman co. Mn. June 9, 2022. They are a couple days old here. This particular adult pair know me really well. They visited this pond over the past few years or so but this is the first time I seen them nest here. They are very calm around me and do not see me as a threat of any sort. To me that is a real gift. If they were to get anxious or disturbed by my presence I would stay away but they accept me as just another non-threatening thing out in nature.

Trumpeter Swan  
  Dan W. Andree
Spring 2022

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

… The adult female is the one on the left and the adult male trumpeter toward the right. They are really family oriented so to speak. Really responsible and caring for their young.

Beautiful too!

Trumpeter Swan  
  Dan W. Andree
Spring 2022

Location: rural Norman Co. Mn.

I came across this pair of nesting Trumpeter Swans recently out in rural Norman Co. Mn. A redwing blackbird just happened to be there adding interest to the scene. The female trumpeter on the nest had a small feather on the far side of her beak. She had been preening and a small feather stuck to it. Some seasons I had seen larger feathers temporarily stuck to the beak of a swan that was preening. Along the shoreline of a few ponds where swans have been sometimes I had noticed several smaller white feathers scattered here and there from previous swans preening.

Trumpeter Swan  
  Dan W. Andree
5/8/2021

Location: Norman Co., Mn.

... the swan was preening its feathers while I was filming it and this yellowlegs decided to investigate. It walked over to the far right side of the swan paused briefly to look at the swan then walked back the direction it came out of the scene.

... lighting wasn’t bad and light winds as well as approachable trumpeters was a memorable experience and the yellowlegs added its curious character making it better.

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Dan W. Andree
Early Spring 2021

Location: A pond in Minnesota

In calm waters early Spring 2021.

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Dan W. Andree
3/13/2021

Location: A Wildlife Refuge in Norman County, Minnesota

Trumpeter Swan

 
  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.

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Dan W. Andree
9/9/2020

Location: in the air over Norman Co. near Sandpiper Prairie SNA.

Trumpeters are big and beautiful

Trumpeter Swan

 
  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.

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Gerry Garcia
9/28/2019

Location: Vermillion River Watershed about 7miles SW of Crane Lake

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Kirk Nelson
4/7/2019

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Swimming in Jensen Lake

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Margot Avey
7/25/2019

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Ramona Abrego
4/24/2019

Location: Becker County

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Margot Avey
4/19/2019

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Margot Avey
4/18/2019

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Trumpeter Swan

 
  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

Trumpeter Swan

 
  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.  

Trumpeter Swan

 
  Dan W. Andree
3/30/2018

Location: rural Norman Co. Mn.

Canada Goose

 
  Dan W. Andree
3/25/2018

Location: rural Norman Co. Mn.

One is standing on one leg…resting the other I am thinking.

Trumpeter Swan

 
  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.

Trumpeter Swan

 
           
 
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