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Swans on the Move!

Both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans are heading north. Lucky people throughout the midwestern states and central provinces have been outside at the right moment, right when a flock wings overhead. Their haunting cries, beautiful plumage, and interesting life history make swans among the most beloved of migrants. They begin their journey on their wintering grounds along the Atlantic coast, and travel all the way to Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, where they will build their nests. Tundra Swans spend HALF of their lifetime migrating back and forth between their wintering and summering grounds!

Following the long winter, Tundra Swans begin migration with their lowest body weight of the year. The places where they rest during their journey, called "staging areas," are critical to their health and their ability to reproduce.

Listen to the Trumpeter Swan
Wait for download; 143 K file.
Recording Courtesy of
Lang Elliott

Listen to the
Tundra Swan

Wait for download; 126 K file.
Recording Courtesy of
Lang Elliott


Swans stay at their staging areas for two to three weeks at a time while fattening up. They will make their nests in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, where days are long but the season is short, and their babies will have a lot of growing to do in the short time before they head south again.

Would you like to follow two Tundra Swans named Sir Syd and Roast on their 1999 migration? See:

 


Try This! Journaling Question

  • To ensure a species' survival, why is it necessary to protect the breeding grounds, the wintering grounds, AND important staging areas? Explain.

 

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