Alaska has been home to three of the four swan species native to North America. Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, and Whoopers are among the swans.
This guide will teach you how to identify the kinds of swans sighted in Alaska based on avibase data and actual information about when they may be seen, based on observations made by birdwatchers on ebird.
Swans are huge birds that have been described as elegant and lovely, and they appear in children’s tales. White swans are the most common kind, although black ones exist as well.
Cobs are male swans, while pens are female swans.
Swans have been revered for millennia by swans. They were formerly reserved for kings or queens, and they could neither keep nor hunt them. They are, however, a protected wild species that can only be hunted with a special permit.
The Mute Swan, however, is an invasive species that is aggressive, particularly during breeding seasons and is threatening the extinction of habitats by destroying them and forcing the native Trumpeter Swan to the verge of extinction.
You may want to learn more about Ducks in Alaska if you enjoy seeing waterbirds in the state.
3 Species Of Swans In Alaska
1. Trumpeter Swan
Swans, the trumpeter variety, can be found throughout Alaska all year, but their numbers rise during migration season from April to May and October to November.
They have been seen in 4% of bird watching checklists for the state and 12% of checklists during migration, according to estimates from bird watchers.
The Trumpeter Swan is the only North American bird that lives long and weighs a lot. It’s also regarded as 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 are apparently 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 may occasionally have a rust-brown tint.
The black bills of juvenile Trumpeter Swans are pink in the middle, and they’re mostly dusky-gray.
Swans migrate to the Pacific Northwest after breeding in northern Canada and Alaska. Breeding birds go to central inland US states when they breed near the Great Lakes.
Swans may be found in marshes, lakes, and rivers with thick vegetation. They breed beside shallow waters in open regions. In addition, they may be seen on agricultural fields.
Trumpeter Swans feed on aquatic plants and greenery that they may grab with their bills while underwater in water. They can reach plants in deeper water, even tipping like a dabbling duck, thanks to their long necks, which allow them to reach them.
They can uproot aquatic plants and feed on them because of their large and strong bills. They also eat spilled or dump grains and crops while visiting agricultural fields.
Trumpeter Swan nests are almost always found near or beside water. The male builds the nest by slowly building mounds of grasses, grass-like plants, and other submerged vegetation over his shoulder until he reaches the nesting site.
Beaver or muskrat lodges are also used to nest in. The female will then carry four to six eggs for about four weeks until they hatch, and she will carry them for another four weeks after that.
Fun Fact: Swans of the trumpet breed typically stay together for life. An adult will normally stay with the nest when it is nesting. While it comes to defending their nesting habitat, they are both territorial and aggressive.
2. Tundra Swan
Between April and November, Tundra Swans can be found in Alaska, but they may be seen at any time of year. Summer checklists have them in 6% of the time.
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 differentiate them from other swans. The Whistling Tundra Swan has a more prominent yellow patch than Bewick’s Tundra Swans. The Whistling Tundra Swan may sometimes lack a yellow patch. They both have black legs and feet with white bodies.
The bill of juvenile Whistling Tundra Swans is mostly pink with a black tip and base, and they are pale brown with white highlights.
In Canada’s Arctic and coastal Alaska, Tundra Swans breed. They go inland and to the Pacific Northwest. During the winter, they migrate to the Great Lakes and coastal mid-Atlantic regions.
Tundra Swans may be found on the tundra of the arctic. In wetlands, marshy lakes, ponds, estuaries, and bays, they predominantly create flocks. In agricultural fields, they also congregate.
The majority of Tundra Swans eat underwater vegetation, which they find by diving their head. They also dig around the bottom with their massive webbed feet. When on land, they will also eat grass and grass-like plants. When they’re on agricultural fields, such as after harvest time, crops like potatoes and corn are their diet.
Tundra Swan nests are frequently found near open water, and they’re mound-shaped. Plant materials found in the region are used to construct them. The female spends up to forty days incubating her eggs, which she lays in four to five pairs.
Fun Fact: Because of the sound their wings make in flight, the Tundra Swan was originally called “Whistling Swan.”
3. Whooper Swan
In Alaska, where they are considered unusual or accidental species, recent sightings have been reported.
The Common Swan is sometimes known as the Whooper Swan (pronounced hooper swan). They have completely white bodies. The bill is bright yellow, with a black tip. It covers nearly half of the bill.
- Cygnus cygnus
- Length: 60 in ( 152 cm)
- Weight: 329.6 oz (9341 g)
- Wingspan: 84 – 96 in (213 – 244 cm)
Whooper Swans are native to Eurasia and breed in cold northern regions and winter further south in wetlands. However, there are vagrants in the United States and Canada.
Whooper Swans may be seen living in flocks near marshes, flooded fields, lakes, and small ponds. You’ll find them grazing on farmlands near the shore when they graze on land.
The majority of whooper swans feed underwater. They go underwater in search of underwater flora, burying their heads and long necks. They snack on the roots of plants, pulling them out by their default with their huge bills and devouring them all.
On islands and lakehores, Whooper Swan nests are common. Plants, moss, reeds, grass, and lichens are used to build them like massive mounds. For thirty-five days, the female incubates four to six eggs. During this period, the male protects the nest.
When they are four or five months old, cygnets, or little swans, are able to fly.
Fun Fact: Because their legs and feet aren’t able to support their enormous bodies for long periods of time, whooper swans need to be close to large areas of water when they’re growing up.