The Trumpeter Swan Society

A Trumpeter Swan in flight at Tommy Thompson Park

In the winter Toronto gets cold. When it gets cold enough, the ice on Lake Ontario starts to freeze, and Toronto’s inner harbor becomes one solid white-scape of snow and ice. It was during one such freeze I stumbled upon the Unwin Ave Canal. This tiny little canal is where the Portlands Energy Center, a 562 Megawatt natural-gas-powered power plant, discharges warm water into Lake Ontario. The temperature of this water keeps the ice from forming, and creates a seasonal oasis for local waterfowl. On that first day I visited, I was like a kid in a candy shop. There were easily a thousand or more birds all near the shore. I logged 6 lifers, a bunch more for my 2022 year list, but the real treat was getting so close to birds I would normally only see at a distance. That was also the first day that I started truly appreciating Swans, especially Trumpeter Swans. 

Ascending to the level of a grown man admitting that he loves Swans took some time. As a kid I had some vague sense that Swans represented love. Maybe because of the stereotypical “love boat” rides for couples, the pictures of their necks intertwined or in a heart shape, or when they occasionally appeared on wedding cakes. This had zero appeal to a child who enjoyed toy soldiers and monster trucks. Then I thought myself wise after learning that Swans were in fact, mean. As a child, I watched aggressive Swans closely while feeding friendly ducks. You had to be careful around Swans I was told. They’ll snatch your arm and drag you to the depths of the lake and eat you whole! Or bite!

I still had these vague equities in my head the day I came to the Unwin Ave Canal, but that day it changed as I got closer to the birds. The Swans were huge, and among the group of Trumpeter and Mute species, the Trumpeters were the biggest. They also called, or “Trumpeted” if you like, and very quickly I understood where the name came from [1]. The fully grown Trumpeters are a stunning bright white with black beaks, and the juveniles have a bit of Gray mixed in with their coats. They are so big that they made the Canada Geese blend in with the Mallards, and the combination of sound and size made them dominate my attention. They also created a weird party atmosphere with their trumpeting. It reminded me a bit of a New Orleans 2nd line. That was until a group of them decided to fly to another open water patch. It takes Swans 30 yards to take off, and about the same distance more before they can start clearing objects on the ground. The heaviest bird in North America is powered into the air by huge wings that create a very dramatic scene as they start generating lift. Once in the air, they seem to defy gravity the same way a gigantic B-52 bomber does. They just look so heavy, that your brain can’t even process how something like that could fly. 

The other thing I noticed that day was that most, if not all, were tagged. Yellow tags on the wings with clearly readable numbers. I took a few pictures and shared them with a friend that night, and he suggested that I figure out who tagged them and report my sighting. This is how I found The Trumpeter Swan Society and the history of Trumpeter Swans in North America. 

Founded in 1968, the mission of the Trumpeter Swan Society is to assure the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swans. The need for such an organization comes from the fact that in the 1800’s Trumpeter Swans were almost hunted to extinction. Settlers would kill them for food, and sell their skins and feathers. They went from being the most prolific swan in North America in the beginning of the 1800’s, down to a colony of about 70 swans by the early twentieth century. These swans were located near Yellowstone National Park and Montana’s nearby and remote Centennial Valley. The fate of the species was hanging on those few swans, when an aerial survey of the Copper River in Alaska found a colony of several thousand more. The genetic stock of this group, along with the 70 birds in the western US, proved enough to start reintroducing the Trumpeter to its historical range. Growth rates in the past 30 years are 400%, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service sees increasing growth rates going forward. Although there are still challenges [2], the work of organizations like the Trumpeter Swan society have brought this species back from the brink of extinction.

I reported one swan that night because I had one picture with a readable tag (his name was X55), and I got a very nice thank you letter back from the Executive Director who forwarded my sighting on to a local Swan tracking group. I also read their website and was so inspired I made a small donation [3] to help fund the work they are doing to restore this amazing species. I also bought a sticker, because now that I’m over my boyhood fear of being dragged down to the bottom of the lake, I love Trumpeter Swans and am proud to let everyone know it. 

Now when I go out birding, or just walking with the kids, I look for those snow white Swans whenever I’m around the water. Besides marveling at their beauty, I also position myself to get a look at the tag and write the number down, and also try to get a picture if I can. The location is important, but also the various Swan protection groups love to see pictures of the birds to make sure they look healthy. I would encourage anyone who sees one of these beautiful Swans to do the same thing. It takes very little time and makes a big difference to all of us because Trumpeter Swans are an indicator species. They thrive in healthy environments and indicate a habitat that’s supporting a balanced ecosystem of plants and animals. Frankly, that's the type of habitat I thrive in too. 

Trumpeter Swan V63 at the Unwin Ave Canal

[1] I think I need to get serious about writing a bird-name post. Trumpeter works as well as the Long-tailed Duck, the Ring-billed Gull, the Snowy Owl, and our Friends in the Nuthatch family. If you can spot a Nuthatch, you should be able to discern if it has a white breast, a red breast, or a brown head. Of course there is a Pygmy Nuthatch which maybe gets a little confusing.

[2] You don’t see many people talking about eating Swan so atleast that threat has subsided with the protections afforded the species by the US and Canadian governments. The current challenges remaining are lead and loss of habitat. The Trumpeter Swan is especially sensitive to lead from fishing weights and shotgun pellets, which becomes an issue in habitats closer to the human developments. As far as habitat loss, Trumpeters compete with the invasive Eurasion Mute Swans, as well as human development of their natural habitat. 
[3] And you can donate too! Here’s their website: The Trumpeter Swan Society. I also owe a special thanks to Margaret Smith, the Executive Director of the Trumpeter Swan society for helping me with this post.