Whooper Swan
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
At a Glance
A huge Eurasian swan, near the size of our Trumpeter Swan. Birds from Siberia winter in small numbers in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Migrants occasionally stray to other points in western Alaska, and very rarely has been found in winter farther south along Pacific seaboard to California. Singles and small flocks seen rarely in the northeast may be either escapes from captivity or strays from Iceland.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Duck-like Birds, Swans
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Swimming
Range & Identification
Description
56-70" (142-178 cm). Huge (size of Trumpeter Swan), with bill extensively yellow at base. An Old World subspecies of Tundra Swan, called Bewick's Swan," also has much yellow on bill, but is smaller than Whooper Swan.
Size
About the size of a Heron
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Broad, Long, Rounded
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
In flight, low-pitched whoop-whoop; a single bugled note when alarmed.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Croak/Quack, Hoot
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Whooper Swan