Naturalist's Corner - Where Are the Swans?

November along the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge which stretches through MN, WI, IA and IL is a hotbed of waterfowl migration. Puddle and diving ducks, pelicans, trumpeter and tundra swans, Canada geese, eagles and other water fowl spend time on the river and its backwater sloughs on their way to their wintering grounds.

The trumpeter and tundra swans that come in to rest and refuel on their way are always a big draw. There are a number of overlooks that stretch along the refuge that give a great birds-eye view of the action of the swans. 

Last year, the swan migration was well underway by November 6 when I wrote this post exploring swans' migration behavior.

But this year, not so much. The bulk of the migrating swans seem to be late. Warmer weather certainly seems to be playing a part. We have had unseasonably warm temperatures throughout late October and early November this year. 

To find out what's up, we checked this recent post from the experts at  Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge. On November 15, they posted the following on their Facebook page:

Photo: An adult tundra swan flies with two juvenile swans courtesy of Joni Welda.

"We are not sure when the peak of the tundra swan migration will be this year, the on-going warm weather has made predicting that more challenging. The eastern population of tundra swans stop first in the boreal forests of Canada, then in the Prairie Pothole Regions of the Dakotas, before arriving here on the River. The timing of their arrival depends on cold weather north of us causing bodies of water to freeze in their prior stopover sites, encouraging the birds to move on. If northern stopover sites don't have cold weather, length-of-day cues may encourage swans to move on, or they may move on when they've eaten most of their food source in these locations. We'll have to see what we see!

Recent bird sightings can be found on our website here: https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-10/recent-bird-sightings "

So be of good cheer, the larger numbers of migrating tundra and trumpeter swans are still coming. Be sure to stop at some of the listed overlooks and roadsides in the coming weeks and revel in the glory of the late fall swan migrations!

Naturalist's Corner - Tons of Tundra Swans

Today we dig a little more deeply into the fall migration of tundra swans, a wonder along the Mississippi River!

Just as the trees have dropped their colorful autumn leaves and the dominant color in woods and fields are greys and browns, the tundra swan migration goes into high gear along the Mississippi River flyway near where we live in southeastern MN. Those brilliant white birds are like another party getting started!

This annual tundra swan fall migration hits our area just about the beginning of November and lasts until the end of the month. Shallow pools along the river sloughs are filled with their raucous calls. We see tens of thousands stopping on their migration routes. 

The most numerous species in North America, tundra swans (also called whistling swans) are slightly smaller than mute or trumpeter swans. They are white with a black bill which often has a spot of yellow on it near their eye.

Image courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service

They are dabblers - they upend themselves to eat their favored tubers - up to 6 lbs of "duck potatoes" a day.

I had always thought that the migrations from their summer nesting grounds to their winter grounds in the Chesapeake Bay area in the eastern United States and back again in spring were quick runs. I was surprised that studies tracking swans suggest that the swans spend over 4 month each year in their migration! 

The fall migration from the Arctic circle to Chesapeake Bay area is a journey of over 3000 miles. According to a study tracking a small sample of tundra swans written by Khristi A. Wilkins et al published in Wildfowl (2010) 60: 20–37, each of the 3 or 4 stops the swans make along the way lasts for 2-3 weeks as they rest and refuel before the next stop. The swans don't leave together and all at once, but rather there are staggered flights beginning from early September through early October. 

The green line shows the tundra swan migration path on the map

The swans can often stay in the Upper Mississippi river for a few weeks at a time before heading, in their final lap, to their Chesapeake Bay area wintering grounds. They take a sharp easternly turn and head directly there, with the final swans arriving from November through December. That's why habitats with a good food supply and vast areas where the migrating waterfowl can rest is so critical.

It speaks to the importance of all their resting stops. Healthy natural areas can support the migrations - especially in times of climate change. I will be watching in coming years to see what kind of impacts the warming temperatures might have on this important migration.

Meanwhile, now is the time to join the tundra swans' raucous migration party. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is sponsoring a number of staffed weekend viewings in the next few weeks to help you learn about and identify the swans and other waterfowl and birds migrating through.  Read on:

Swan Migration at Brownsville Overlook    

Saturdays/Sundays  Nov 11/12 and Nov 18/19   10am-2pm

Come enjoy the fall migration! As the seasons turn colder, thousands of swans, ducks and other water birds move through the refuge, finding a place to rest, relax and refuel before moving further south for the winter. A Refuge naturalist will be stationed at the Brownsville Overlook to help visitors identify birds and share information about the refuge and migration. Please note that naturalists’ shifts may be cancelled or end early without warning in inclement or extremely cold weather. The Brownsville Overlook is located about three miles south of Brownsville, Minnesota along Minnesota Highway 26. A portable restroom will be available on-site. We recommend wearing lots of warm layers!  Though peak migration is difficult to predict, the best time to see the tundra swan migration is usually the second or third week in November. The swans will typically stay until the water freezes over – if temperatures stay below freezing at night, the peak of migration will be earlier in November. Warmer weather extends their stay. Recent sightings and estimates of bird numbers are posted weekly on the refuge website.  For more information, please call the La Crosse District Visitor Center at 608-779-2399 (Tues-Fri 9am-3pm) 

The Friends of the Upper Mississippi will join the refuge on Saturday Nov 11 for Waterfowl Observation Day: Come join the Friends of the Upper Mississippi (FUM), Friends of the Refuge –Mississippi River Pools 7 & 8 (FOR78) and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge to celebrate the fall migration! Spotting scopes and bird identification guides will be available for visitors to enjoy. Refuge staff, and members of FUM and FOR78 will assist with bird ID and related questions. Please dress for chilly weather! Light refreshments will be available while supplies last, during this event only. All donations for refreshments will benefit FUM. Members of FUM and FOR78 will have wildlife-themed items available for purchase. The Brownsville Overlook is one of the best places along the river to view hundreds of tundra swans, ducks, pelicans and bald eagles. The overlook is located about three miles south of Brownsville, MN along MN Highway 26.

You can read more about the tundra swans spring migration and habits in this recent post by Charlotte Lukes.

A huge thank you to Katie Julian of the US Fish and Wildlife Service who shared the research that helped me write this post!