Appearance

Appearance

Adults are white and about 55–65 in (140–165 cm) long. The bill has a large pointed yellow patch against a black tip, while young birds are pale gray-brown.

Voice

It gives loud, ringing, bugling calls and is much more vocal than a Mute Swan (Cygnus olor).

Look-alikes

Images coming soon

Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus

A Tundra Swan usually has a mostly black bill with only a small yellow spot. A Whooper Swan has a much larger, pointed yellow patch and is slightly bigger.

Why they get mixed up · Both are straight-necked white swans and can show yellow near the bill base.

Mute SwanCygnus olor

A Mute Swan has an orange bill with a black knob and often holds its neck in an S curve. A Whooper Swan lacks the knob and has a yellow-and-black bill.

Why they get mixed up · Both are very large white swans.

Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinator

A Trumpeter Swan has an all-black bill. A Whooper Swan has a broad yellow patch at the bill base, even though both are huge white swans.

Why they get mixed up · They are similar in size and shape in North America.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• shallow lakes
• marshes
• slow rivers and estuaries

Range

It breeds across northern Eurasia. Small numbers winter in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and wild birds very rarely reach the Pacific Coast as far south as California. Some birds seen in the United States may have escaped from captivity.

Seasonal presence

It winters in small numbers in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and is rare elsewhere in the United States.

Behavior

Diet

It mainly eats aquatic leaves, stems, and roots, and also takes grain and small aquatic animals.

Activity

It reaches underwater with its long neck and sometimes tips its body forward to feed. Outside the breeding season, pairs and families gather in flocks.

Life cycle

Breeding season

Regular breeding takes place in northern Eurasia, not in the United States.

Nest

The pair nests in or near water, building a mound from nearby plants.

Clutch size

Usually 3–7 eggs

Incubation

The female does most of the incubating while the male guards the nest area.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction