Tundra Swan

Cygnus columbianusOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: TUSW Scientific Name: CYGCOL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 174987

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Swamps, Grasslands

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester, Mates for life

Breeding Population:

Increasing

Egg Color:

Creamy white, nest stained

Number of Eggs:

4 - 5

Incubation Days:

31 - 40

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Made of plant material.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Tundra Swan: Small swan, completely white but with head and neck often stained rust-brown from ferrous minerals in marsh soils. Bill is black, usually with yellow spot at base. Legs and feet are black. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is pale gray-brown overall and has pink-orange bill with black base and tip.

Range and Habitat

Tundra Swan: Breeds in Alaska and far northern Canada east to Baffin Island. Spends winters from southern Alaska south to Nevada, Utah, and Baja California and on mid-Atlantic coast; rarely found on the Gulf coast of Texas and occasionally on the Great Lakes. Preferred habitats include tundra, marshy lakes, and bays.

Breeding and Nesting

Tundra Swan: Four to five dull white eggs are laid on a large mound of grass and moss on an island or beside a marshy tundra lake. Incubation ranges from 31 to 40 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Tundra Swan: Feeds on seeds and roots of aquatic vegetation; also eats mollusks; forages by plunging neck into shallow water and pulling vegetation from the bottom.

Vocalization

Tundra Swan: Call is a mellow bugle "hoo-ho-hoo", usually heard during migration.

Similar Species

Tundra Swan: Trumpeter Swan is larger and has all-dark bill.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Tundra Swan

Tundra Swan: Small swan, completely white, head and neck often stained rust-brown from ferrous minerals in marsh soils. Black bill, usually with yellow spot at base. Black legs, feet. Strong direct flight on steady wing beats. Flies in straight line or V formation. Most common swan in North America.

● Song: "hoo-ho-hoo"

● Foraging & Feeding: Tundra Swan: Feeds on seeds and roots of aquatic vegetation; also eats mollusks; forages by plunging neck into shallow water and pulling vegetation from the bottom.

● Breeding & nesting: Tundra Swan: Four to five dull white eggs are laid on a large mound of grass and moss on an island or beside a marshy tundra lake. Incubation ranges from 31 to 40 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Tundra Swan: Trumpeter Swan is larger and has all-dark bill.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight with steady wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Tundra Swan: Breeds in Alaska and far northern Canada east to Baffin Island. Spends winters from southern Alaska south to Nevada, Utah, and Baja California and on mid-Atlantic coast; rarely found on the Gulf coast of Texas and occasionally on the Great Lakes. Preferred habitats include tundra, marshy lakes, and bays.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester, Mates for life

^PopulationIncreasing

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight251.2 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Tundra Swan

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Tundra Swan

Flight Pattern