Bird of the Month: Tundra Swan

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This month, lead shorebird monitor for Erie Bird Observatory Mary Birdsong tells us all about the disorganized but delicate Tundra Swan. Don't assume those birds flying in a V overhead are Canadian Geese - look closely and you might catch a glimpse of these majestic migratory swans.

One of my favorite things to hear is a flock of Tundra Swans flying over my house as they head either south in the early winter or north in the spring. They are noisy in flight and when you first hear them in the distance, they sound like baying hounds. They fly in long lines and V formations like Canada Geese — their calls are more disorganized but delicate.

The last time we could hear them in Erie was in the fall when they were heading south to winter in shallow estuaries, freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers on the Mid-Atlantic coast. In our region most are merely passing through, but some can be found during the winter months if there is open water in the lake and bay. They can often be found at Leo's Landing on Presque Isle State Park, which is where the Feather Observation platform is.

Right now, in March, Tundra Swans are beginning to journey north toward their breeding grounds in the arctic region of North America. There, they nest on marshy tundra lakes (and yes, it's their breeding habitat that gives them their name).

Tundra Swans are large birds with a length of 49 inches and a wing span of 75 inches. They are mostly white and have a straight neck, which sets them apart from non-native Mute Swans which display a curved neck. Their bills are black but about 90 percent of the North American population show some yellow in the portion of the beak close to the eyes (called the lores).

Tundra Swan food sources can be found in aquatic and terrestrial environments and run the gamut from the leaves, roots, rhizomes, and stems of aquatic plants and grasses to mollusks. In water, they search for food by submerging their head and neck with their tails upended, an action called dabbling.

Increasingly, due to habitat changes on their migration route and wintering grounds, they forage in agriculture fields on waste grains, growing winter cereal grain crops, and potatoes.

As the month progresses, listen for their energetic calls overhead. If they sound like Canada Geese, but not quite, be sure to look up! You might be seeing and hearing an exuberant flock of Tundra Swans on the wing.

Mary Birdsong is the lead shorebird monitor for Erie Bird Observatory. Learn more at eriebirdobservatory.org or on their social media channels. She can be reached at mbirdsong@eriereader.com