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Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Cygnus buccinator

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Trumpeter Swan

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Trumpeter Swan

The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator), or simply the trumpeter, is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm (6 ft 2 in to 10 ft 2 in). It is the American counterpart and a close relative of the whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) of Eurasia and has even been considered the same species by some authorities. By 1933, fewer than 70 wild individuals were known to exist; extinction seemed imminent until aerial surveys discovered a Pacific population of several thousand trumpeter swans around Alaska's Copper River.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Cygnus buccinator
Family
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
Order
Anseriformes

Similar species

Other members of the ducks, geese, and waterfowl family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • American Black Duck Anas rubripes
  • American Wigeon Mareca americana
  • Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri
  • Baikal Teal Sibirionetta formosa
  • Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus
  • Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
  • Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
  • Black Scoter Melanitta americana
  • Black Swan Cygnus atratus
  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis
  • Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus
  • Blue-billed Teal Spatula hottentota

Know when the Trumpeter Swan turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

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Gear for spotting Trumpeter Swan

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

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Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

9 min readRead guide