In Arkansas, three of the four swan species native to North America have been sighted. The Trumpeter Swan, Tundra Swan, and Mute Swan are the three types of swans.
With photographs and detailed identification information, this guide will help you identify swans in Arkansas. You may spot them in the months listed here.
Swans are huge birds that have been described as gentle and lovely, and they have even been depicted as such in children’s tales. White swans are the most common, but black swans are also present.
Cobs are used to describe male swans, while pens are used to describe female swans.
Swans have always been revered, and this has been going on for ages. Only kings or queens could preserve or hunt them, and they were formerly the exclusive domain of royalty. They are, however, a protected wild species that can only be hunted with a specific authorization.
Swans, on the other hand, may be a pest and the Mute Swan is an invasive species that is predatory, particularly when it comes to breeding seasons and is threatening native Trumpeter Swan populations.
You might also learn more about Ducks in Arkansas if you like seeing waterbirds in the state.
According to avibase, this guide will help you identify the various forms of swans seen in Arkansas, as well as providing actual information on when they may be observed.
3 Species Of Swans In Arkansas
1. Trumpeter Swan
During the winter months of November through February, trumpet swans are most frequently seen in northern Arkansas, although they may be seen at any time of year. In 1% of the state’s winter bird watcher checklists, they are listed.
The longest and heaviest extant bird in North America, the Trumpeter Swan, is distinguished from other swans. It’s also the world’s heaviest flying bird.
- Cygnus buccinator
- Length: 58 – 72 in (147 – 183 cm)
- Weight: 401.6 oz (11381 g)
- Wingspan: 72 – 102 in (183 – 259 cm)
Except for their black beaks, legs, and feet, trumpeter swans are completely white. Their eyes seem to be linked to their bills by a black patch on their face. Because of their interaction with iron components in wetland soils, their heads and necks can develop a little rust-brown coloration.
The bill of a juvenile Trumpeter Swan is black, and the body is mostly dusky-gray.
Swans migrate to the Pacific Northwest from their breeding grounds in northwestern Canada and Alaska. Those that breed in central inland states migrate to the Great Lakes.
Trumpeter Swans may be located in marshes, lakes, and rivers with deep vegetation. They prefer to breed near shallow water in open areas. In addition, they may be seen on agricultural land.
Trumpeter Swans feed on underwater aquatic plants and vegetation, which they may access with their bills. They can access fodder in deeper water thanks to their extended necks, which allows them to tip like a dabbling duck in order to get at it.
They can uproot aquatic plants and feed on them because of their large and powerful bills. They also snack on spilled or surplus grains and crops while visiting agricultural fields.
Trumpeter Swans’ nests are almost always found near water, if not surrounded by it. By tossing grasses, grass-like plants, and other submerged vegetation over his shoulder in a steady stream, the male creates mounds of material until he reaches the nesting site.
Beaver or muskrat lodges are also used to nest. The female will then lay four to six eggs over a period of approximately four weeks, during which she will hatch them.
Fun Fact: Swans are generally monogamous when it comes to trumpeters. One adult stays with the nest while the birds are nesting. When it comes to protecting their nesting territory, they are both territorial and aggressive.
2. Tundra Swan
During the winter of November through mid-March, Tundra Swans may be found in Arkansas, although they are not particularly common.
Whistling Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) of North America and Bewick’s Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) of Eurasia are two subspecies of swans that are known as tundra swans.
- Cygnus columbianus
- Length: 487 – 58 in (119 – 147 cm)
- Weight: 370.37 oz (10496 g)
- Wingspan: 72 – 84 in (183 – 213 cm)
The yellow patches at the base of tundra swans’ bills distinguish them from other swans. In comparison to the Whistling Tundra Swan, Bewick’s Tundra Swans have a more prominent yellow patch. The Whistling Tundra Swan may sometimes lack a yellow patch. They do, however, have long necks and black legs and feet, which makes them completely white.
The bill of juvenile Whistling Tundra Swans is pink with a black tip and base, and the rest of the body is pale brown.
In Canada’s Arctic and coastal Alaska, Tundra Swans breed. They move inland and to the Pacific Northwest. During the winter, they travel to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast.
Tundra Swans are found in the tundra of the Arctic. In wetlands, marshy lakes, ponds, estuaries, and bays, they generally form flocks. In agricultural fields, they congregate as well.
Tundra Swans feed almost entirely on aquatic plants, which they obtain by lowering their head under the water. They also dig around the bottom with their huge webbed feet. When on land, they will also eat grass and grass-like vegetation. When they’re on agricultural fields, such as after harvest, crops like potatoes and corn are their diet.
Tundra Swan nests are often placed near open water, and they are mound-shaped. Plant materials found in the region are used to construct them. The female produces four to five eggs, which she incubates for up to forty days.
Fun Fact: Because of the sound their wings make in flight, the Tundra Swan was once known as “Whistling Swan.”
3. Mute Swan
In Arkansas, mute swans were initially observed near Lake Valencia in 2022 and are now an established species.
One of the biggest and heaviest flying birds is the Mute Swan. They were imported to ornament lakes and ponds, but have now gone wild and are breeding. They are non-native species. They may be aggressive and create hazards for indigenous wildlife.
- Cygnus olor
- Length: 56 – 62 in (142 – 157 cm)
- Weight: 416 oz (11789 g)
- Wingspan: 84 – 96 in (213 – 244 cm)
They have long, slender necks, orange bills with a huge black basal knob, and black legs that are totally white. Although males are larger than females, adults look similar.
The orange-colored bills of juveniles aren’t visible. Their bills are instead dark pinkish. Their body may have dark-brownish streaks from time to time.
In their young (as cygnets), mute swans may be white or black. From birth, the “Royal” chicks develop gray-brown and white feathers, with gray down. When the chicks hatch, they are all white and stay that way throughout their lives. Their pink bills contrast with their pale pink color. Instead of black, their legs are light pinkish-gray.
Europe is home to the mute swans. Nonetheless, the majority of the breeding population is now found in Northeastern US and southeastern Canada. They’ve spread to additional regions and are non-native and don’t migrate.
In city parks, protected bays, and lakes, you may see a variety of Mute Swans. Shallow wetlands, rivers, and estuaries are also good places to look for them.
Swans spend the majority of their time floating on water. While on water, they forage for underwater flora, which is their main food. They may also feed on grass and agricultural crops in order to forage for food on land.
Both male and female swans construct nests for Mute Swans. Swans reuse their nests each year, repairing and restoring them as needed, because they are monogamous. On islands in the middle or edge of a lake, nests are quite common.
The female lays four to eight eggs in a mound built with plants and vegetation. For roughly thirty-five to forty days, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: When adult swans perceive danger or threats to their chicks, they are very aggressive in protecting them. If the warning is not heeded, they will hiss as a deterrent and pursue and kill the predator.