Winter is upon us, and with the return of colder weather comes the return of a local favorite: the hundreds of trumpeter swans that migrate to West Alton every winter. About ten years ago, a small flock of trumpeter swans made its way to the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and the number of trumpeter swans who have chosen to make the area their winter home has increased greatly over the years. The Trumpeter Swan Society has named the flock in West Alton as the largest in the lower 48 states.
Current estimates indicate about 16,000 trumpeter swans exist in North America, but the birds were once hunted nearly to extinction in the early 1900s. In the 1930s, fewer than 70 trumpeter swans were believed to exist worldwide, most of them in Yellowstone National Park. In the 1950s, a previously undiscovered population of trumpeter swans was found in Alaska, and the population has since grown, partially due to stricter hunting regulations.
Trumpeter swans have a wingspan of eight feet, making them North America’s largest waterfowl. They are the world’s largest swans and are about twice the size of North America’s other native swan, the tundra swan. Trumpeter swans average about 24 pounds, with males typically weighing more than females.
Trumpeter swans mate for life, choosing a mate at about three years of age. Male trumpeter swans are called cobs, and females are called pens. Sometime around April, cobs begin bringing materials such as cattails to the pens to build a nest. Assembling the nest takes about two weeks, and finished nests can be up to twelve feet in diameter.
Trumpeter swans lay three to nine eggs, which are incubated by the pen for about 35 days as the cob stands guard near the nest. Upon hatching, the babies, which are called cygnets, weigh about half a pound, are covered in grey, downy feathers, and can swim almost immediately. They will reach the fledgling stage in three to four months.
Current estimates indicate about 16,000 trumpeter swans exist in North America, but the birds were once hunted nearly to extinction in the early 1900s. In the 1930s, fewer than 70 trumpeter swans were believed to exist worldwide, most of them in Yellowstone National Park. In the 1950s, a previously undiscovered population of trumpeter swans was found in Alaska, and the population has since grown, partially due to stricter hunting regulations.
Trumpeter swans have a wingspan of eight feet, making them North America’s largest waterfowl. They are the world’s largest swans and are about twice the size of North America’s other native swan, the tundra swan. Trumpeter swans average about 24 pounds, with males typically weighing more than females.
Trumpeter swans mate for life, choosing a mate at about three years of age. Male trumpeter swans are called cobs, and females are called pens. Sometime around April, cobs begin bringing materials such as cattails to the pens to build a nest. Assembling the nest takes about two weeks, and finished nests can be up to twelve feet in diameter.
Trumpeter swans lay three to nine eggs, which are incubated by the pen for about 35 days as the cob stands guard near the nest. Upon hatching, the babies, which are called cygnets, weigh about half a pound, are covered in grey, downy feathers, and can swim almost immediately. They will reach the fledgling stage in three to four months.
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