Trumpeter Swan

The trumpeter swan is a large waterfowl native to North America distringuised by its black face and white plumage.

Trumpeter Swan Facts

SCientific Name

Cygnus buccinator

Distinguishing Features

Size

The trumpeter swan is the heaviest flying bird. A male trumpeter swan can reach up to 30lbs and up to 5.5 inches in length ¹.

Plumage and Appearance

One can tell that its a swan and not a snow goose, for one thing, by its black head.

There are two other types of swans you’ll find in the United States — the tundra swan and the mute swan.

The mute swan is non-native and was imported here as a decorative accent. Unlike the trumpeter swan, the mute swan has a yellow bill with black above.

It’s a bit harder to tell the trumpeter and tundra swans apart. If you can get a close enough view, look for a bit of orange at the edge of the bill. This is a sign that it is a trumpeter swan and not a tundra swan.

The trumpeter swan also has a black connection with the eye and a flatter crown than the tundra swan.

The call of the trumpeter swan is fairly loud — the video below does not do it justice ²

Distribution and Migration

The trumpeter swan ranges from Alaska, British Columbia and into the northern United States. Birds from icy Alaska and northern B.C. migrate south for the winter, down to southern B.C. and the Pacific Northwest. Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming host wintering birds from the Canadian interior. ³

Above is our own map with some known PNW trumpeter swan sightings. Some are more precise than other and, as the map is open to visitor-submitted markers, some may be locations submitted by visitors.

Endangered Status

As of 2022, the trumpeter swan is listed as of being “of least concern.”

However, this was not always the case. By the early 20th century, there were thought to be fewer than 70 wild trumpeter swans living in Yellowstone National Park, until a large group was found in Alaska during an aerial survey in the 1950s. ⁴

Since then, restoration efforts have been made in many states and the trumpeter swan is no longer on the endangered list.

Trumpeter Swan Photos

These are any trumpeter swan photos we’ve added to the website that we’ve remembered to tag as such.

Other Resources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpeter_swan#cite_note-10[↩]
2. I could hear the group of them and knew I was in the right place before I even reached the lake.[↩]
3. Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds[↩]
4. Source: Wikipedia[↩]