When white settlers first reached North America, trumpeter swans were abundant across the Midwest, breeding primarily north of the Missouri and Ohio River Valleys; during the colder months, these birds, the largest swans on the planet, wintered as far south as the Gulf Coast. Over hunting and the drainage of wetlands decimated their population and, in 1918, they were brought under federal protection; nevertheless, their numbers continued to dwindle and, by the 1930s, only 69 trumpeters survived in the lower 48 States, all inhabiting southwest Montana.
The Trumpeter Swan Society, founded in 1968, has spearheaded a comeback of these magnificent birds and reintroduction programs were developed across the Upper Midwest in the 1980s; by 2004, 4500 trumpeter swans inhabited federal, state and private refuges, from South Dakota to Ontario, Canada. While these restoration projects have successfully established Midwestern breeding populations, the swans have been reluctant to roam too far from their home territories; exceptions have included the sighting of winter migrants in southeast Colorado and in central Arkansas. Efforts to encourage past migration routes have begun over the past few years, with the transport of small autumn flocks to the lower Mississippi Valley, hoping that they will return to their breeding grounds the following spring.
As birders fan out across the Midwest to observe the spring waterfowl migration, they will have a good chance to observe some of these trumpeters, which often sport colorful collars or leg bands. Sightings should be reported to your local Division of Wildlife or Birding Society so that the progress of these inspiring reintroduction programs can be documented and monitored.
