Trumpeter

Birds By Karol Livote

Trumpeter - Trumpeter Swan is the largest swan in the world and the largest waterfowl in North America. The species was on the edge of extintion. However, thanks to conservation efforts their number has grown from as low as about a thousand to about 6,000 birds and increasing. They weigh about 25 lbs and are very similar to the Tundra Swan. A way to tell the difference the Trumpeter has a pink line at the base line of the bill, known as the "smile line". They are white overall and their bill is black which slopes evenly into a flat forehead. They feed on aquatic plants by plunging their long neck deep into the water. They then tear the plants away from the bottom ground of the water. They form long-term breeding pair bonds and have 1 brood per year. They defend a large territory and are mostly found in fresh waters such as lakes, ponds and rivers. However, they will retreat to salt water coastal bays in the winter, when the lakes and ponds are frozen over.