Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)

 On winter days, flocks of swans, the largest in North America, gather in lakes and rivers or descend from the sky. The characteristic fluffiness of their wings led Meriwether Lewis to call them "tundra swans", a name that is still used today. These known creatures - slightly smaller than the rest of us women, and the trumpeter swan - nest in the arctic tundra and visit the United States on migration in the winter. Most of them have yellow eggs under their black beaks, but otherwise they are white. More information about identity 

Blue streaked Lory

yellow collared lovebird

Image of tundra swan near map 

All years 

Reproduction 

Migration 

Non-breeding 

Nearby map from Bird of the World 

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find this bird 

Unless you're in the Arctic, don't look for Tundra Swans in summer. Instead, look for them on large bodies of water, especially harbors and sheltered coastal waters, during migration and winter. You can also see flocks of these large white birds in agricultural fields where they feed on lost or unharvested food. Look for their unique upright neck posture, and their characteristic large flocks, to distinguish them from mute swans. OTHER NAMES 

Cisne Chico (Spanish) 

Tundra Swan (French) 

Interesting facts 

Lewis and Clark gave the first written description of tundra swans during their journey to the West, where the birds' cries inspired Meriwether Lewis to name them "tundra swans". 

The Tundra Swan, the American Tundra Swan, is now considered the same species as the Eurasian species, Bewick's Swan. They were considered a variety in the past, of the large yellow spot on the face of the Bewick swan. Tundra Swans stay in flocks except when on breeding grounds. Although many swans have dispersed to give birth, many can still be found in the breeding area in flocks. These swans do not reproduce and may be young birds, two adult males whose reproductive efforts have failed, or adults who have bred in the past but n 'for some reason not giving birth.

During breeding, the Tundra Swan sleeps almost entirely on the ground, but in winter, it often sleeps in the water. Tundra Swans breed in the remote Arctic regions of North America. Parents defend their nests and young against many predators, including foxes, weasels, wolves and bears, as well as birds such as Glaucous Gulls, Common Crows, Parasitic Skuas , Lesser Spotted Skuas and Royal Eagles. If parents are present, they can defend the nest and chicks against these threats. However, wolves, humans and bears are too big to fight, and many swans are creative and leave their nests when these giants are not around. By quickly leaving when predators approach, parents can make the nest difficult to find.

Tundra swans winter in the Chesapeake Bay and eat almost exclusively clams that they take out of the mud. But it can be difficult to enjoy a peaceful meal: often, the swan has to stop the ring string, herring gull or black-backed gull coming in to catch the can in the swan's beak - a successful way in about half of the world. "kleptoparasitic" meets these people.

Swans have long been associated with the concept of love. In addition to their beautiful details and all white material, they form two permanent bonds when they are 2-3 years old. Once a pair is formed, Tundra Swans feed and mate each year. According to banding records, the oldest known Tundra Swan was a female at least 23 years and 7 months old when her team spotted her in the woods in Ohio. It was previously shared in the same context.