Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan photographed at the Otsego Marsh in Columbia County, Wisconsin on October 27, 2013.  At this time it is unknown if this bird is a wild bird or an escapee bird.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Binomial name: Cygnus cygnus

Category: Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Description: White body with a black and yellow bill, more yellow than black.  Black legs and feet.

Size: 55” – 65” long, 81” – 108” wingspan

Weight: 16 lbs. – 31 lbs.

Habitat: Freshwater lakes, shorelines, slow rivers, wetlands, marshes, swamps, and bogs

Natural Range: Breeds in Northern Eurasia and winters primarily in the United Kingdom and Southern Asia.  It is extremely rare to see one in the United States.

Diet: Aquatic plants, leaves, stems, roots, grasses, and sedges.  In winter will also eat grains, acorns, and vegetables such as turnips or potatoes.

Nesting: Both parents build the nest out of grasses, leaves, and other plants pressed into a mud flat or reed beds.  The male will stand guard while the female incubates the eggs (4 -7 eggs per clutch).  Mating pairs will breed for life, and the same nest may be used repeatedly over several years with repairs being made as necessary.  Sometimes offspring from previous years will rejoin their parents.

Notes: Although large in size, this bird has comparatively small legs.  Consequently, it spends most of its time swimming and scouring bodies of water for food instead of walking on land.  It is also the national bird of Finland.  The yellow markings on each swan’s bill are unique and can identify a particular bird in much the same way humans may be identified by fingerprints.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

To see the gallery of images, please click here.

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About admin

Window to Wildlife features the photography of Jim Edlhuber. A lifelong native of Wisconsin, Jim has been photographing wildlife for 20 years. He considers himself an avid photographer and is always trying to capture nature and wildlife through his lens. He is in several photography clubs and has won numerous awards for his work. In recent years, Jim has focused mostly on birding photography and finds it to be the most challenging.

5 Responses to Whooper Swan

  1. Michael J. matusinec says:

    Beautiful series on the Whooper Swan,

  2. Cathy Idzikowski says:

    beautiful! Thanks for sharing

  3. Nancy Nabak says:

    Nice photo story on the Whooper Swan, Jim! Way to be in the moment. Love 4th from last photo. : )

  4. Tom O'Malley says:

    Great series Jim!

    For those who could not be there, it’s our window to look out and see these birds.

    Thanks for sharing,

    Tom O’Malley
    Delafield

  5. Allen P says:

    Jim, Thanks for sharing. How exciting. I especially like the photo of the four coming in towards you to land together. It is interesting to see their commonality and differences as they fly together.

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