I think this is a Tundra Swan because of the black beak with the yellow by the eye. I shot this on April 30 up at Ottawa NWR on Lake Erie. From what I have read, the Tundra Swans are migratory, and this one should have been up north at its summer breeding grounds by early April. :confused:
Julie: I'm not sure this is a Tundra Swan. That yellow may be some debris there. The head looks very Trumpeter to me. The top side of the bill follows a straight line from the top of the head to the tip whereas the Tundra bill will form a straight line from about the brow to the tip of the bill and often still has a curve to that top line. Also, the black around the eye is very open with no pinching in of the feathers to form almost 3/4 of a ring around the eye before the black merges with the bill. And the brow seems to be forming a peak instead of a curved line. The yellow is troubling as it seems to be a sign that it is a Tundra, but not all Tundras have yellow and with all the staining and such on the head and neck, it could be some debris from the bottom. And many Tundras don't have yellow on the bill either.
There are a fair number of Trumpeters which have been introduced in the area of the Great Lakes and they often mix with the Tundras. We have had Trumpeters visit us every year for the last 6 years in MD. I've spent a lot of hours looking at photos to determine whether a swan is a Tundra or a Trumpeter. It was only 2 years ago that we got a hint from where they originated when we found a tag on one and it was traced to an Ontario, Canada banding program, banded as an adult 9 years previously. The best indicator is the sound. Did you hear any sound from this bird?
Linda
As for migration, we occasionally have a swan or two in the area that do not migrate for the first year.
Wow, Linda, thanks for all of that information. I guess I was fooled by that bit of yellow. I only had time to shoot a couple of frames and did not hear any sounds from the bird. I will pay more attention to these details next time I see a swan!:)
Any idea of the size Julie- Trumpeters are big and Tundras are small (for swans!).
This bird has features of both in the head (could it be a hybrid?). I think the yellow spot is real and not debris, which suggests Tundra (ref. Sibley). The face suggests a Trump so I will admit to being confused, unless, again, this is a hybrid bird.
John: I think you may be right! I would challenge the difference in size. While trumpeters are larger than Tundras, when you have 30 swans and most are Tundras and you hear a Trumpeter call, it's hard to pick out the somewhat larger trumpeter. And big tundras and small trumpeters are even closer in size. If a hybrid -- even more difficult.
Most of the time you see these two species in different areas, but where they mix -- it can be difficult.
Do you have any shots of the entire bird? Structurally they are fairly different, particularly the appearance of the angle of the wing as held against the body.
Tundra Swan? ID help please
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