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QUESTION: Recently there was a photograph in a local newspaper showing swans on Okanagan Lake. Can you give me more information on these birds please?
The birds on the lake were Tundra Swans, formerly known as Whistling Swans. They winter in south-western Canada and the U.S., in small numbers on open water on rivers and lakes. Their primary wintering area is a little farther south in the Columbia Basin of Oregon, then farther south again to the San Francisco Bay area. In late February or early March they start moving north passing through the Okanagan in late March or early April. They are heading to their breeding grounds all across Alaska and Arctic Canada, and the Aleutian Peninsula. They return south in October.
The swan is a quite a large bird with a wingspan of 6 - 7 feet, the bird itself measuring 53 inches in the body. They are often heard before being seen, flying high overhead in a line or V and calling with a high pitched cooing "wooho woowoo, wooho". The bird is all white with a black bill and a small yellow spot at the base of the bill. The young, (called cygnets) are a dingy grey with a pinkish bill.
A cousin to the Tundra Swan is the Trumpeter. At one time it was very close to extinction, but this was recognized and some winter locations protected and the birds fed. They have made a remarkable comeback, being removed from the endangered list in 1968. Despite this, they remain relatively rare. Most of the world's population of the Trumpeters breeds in Alaska, Yukon and northern B.C. with a small spill-over into the Peace River area of Alberta. Those seen in the Okanagan from time to time would be migrating to and from the interior of Alaska and the Yukon, traveling north in February and traveling south in November. The bird goes as far south as the coast of California to winter. The Trumpeter swan is a larger bird than the Tundra swan; the body measuring 58 -72 inches, with a slightly larger wing span. The head is flatter and the bill is all black and heavier. The voice is louder and deeper as the name implies. All swans feed on aquatic vegetation, by immersing the head and neck and tipping its body forward to reach the vegetation in shallower waters.
An interesting book to read which documents the success of restoring the Trumpeter swan to a sustainable number is "Crusoe of Lonesome Lake" by Ralph Edwards.
A third swan called a Mute Swan originated in Eurasia and has been introduced to parks, rivers throughout North America. It body measures approx 60 inches in length; has an orange downward pointing bill and is a graceful swimmer. The wings are often arched over the back and the neck curves gracefully in an S shape.
To see swans either swimming of flying, is an inspiring experience and has led to many artistic renditions in poetry, dance and music worldwide. The dancers imitating the graceful moves of the swans, with such great feeling and interpretation, it can leave an audience in awe.
Pat Westheuser, Director
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club 2007-03 |
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