Eight young trumpeter swans were released in Yellowstone National Park early this week. Yellowstone, the Wyoming Wetlands Society and Yellowstone Forever worked together on this release, which is part of an ongoing restoration project to increase swan numbers in the park.
For decades, the number of territorial pairs of trumpeter swans has been declining. According to the park website, causes range from nests flooding to predators and drought. Swans are also particularly sensitive to human disturbance during nesting.
In the early 1960s there were nearly 70 birds and 17 territorial pairs. By 2009 and 2010, there were only four swans in the park.
The NPS reported that recent swan releases and other restoration efforts have bolstered the population to over 26 birds and five or more territorial pairs as of 2023, including natural reproduction at multiple sites.
Later this month, the park will assess a new total count for the swan population in the park. This occurs during the annual swan count that takes place across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Check out this video from a trumpeter swan release in Yellowstone back in 2019!
The trumpeter swan, named for its resonant call, is the largest waterfowl in North America, with a wingspan of up to eight feet. These swans require open water, feed mainly on aquatic plants, and nest in wetlands.
These and previous swans were released in Hayden Valley on the Yellowstone River, near the confluence with Alum Creek. According to birding experts, trumpeter swans can often be spotted on the Yellowstone River south of Canyon Village.
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