Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)

TheWhooper Swan (WHSW) is about 60” long with a wingspan of 80” and aweight of 23 lb. (10.5 kg). It is similar in size, shape, head and billprofile to the Trumpeter Swan, but the bill has a broad yellowwedge-shaped patch from the base of the bill to past the nostril. Therest of the bill is black. The genus and species name Cygnus (SIG-nus)is from the Latin for swan.

In the Old World, the Whooper is the mostcommon swan. It is named for its unique flight call, a double,low-pitched whoop-whoop. When startled it often utters a single buglednote. It is the loudest and most vocal of the swans.

Large flockswinter in the northern islands of Japan. They breed mostly north of theArctic Circle across most of Eurasia. In North America, they occurmainly as winter visitors in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. In the month of January, 2007, the first ever Whooper Swan in Washington was seen very regularly near Conway.  It brought many visitors from as far away as Florida.  Immature WHSWsare similar to other swans in that they are a dusky color with apinkish, black-tipped bill. The Bewick’s subspecies of the Tundra Swanalso has a noticeable yellow patch on the bill between the base of thebill and the nostril.

The Whooper’s courtship display consists of sinuous up-and-downmovement of the head and neck with wings outspread. After mating, thefemale starts to call and the male joins in, spreading its wings as thetwo birds rise breast-to-breast in the water. The species nests onshallow inland or tundra lakes and marshes. The nest is a large moundof moss and lichen or dried plants, with a depression in the middle forthe eggs.

The Whooper usually lays 5-6 creamy white eggs in late May toearly June. Incubation is 35-42 days by the female only. The cygnets(young) are taken care of by both parents and they fly after about 8weeks. There food is primarily seeds and water plants with some alsoeating insects and mollusks.The Whooper Swan photo was taken by Hugh Jennings on Jan. 23, 2007 nearConway.