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US Fish & Wildlife Publications US Fish & Wildlife Service
March 2016 Swan & Goose IDentification
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"Swan & Goose IDentification" (2016). US Fish & Wildlife Publications. 484. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usfwspubs/484
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Fish & Wildlife Service at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in US Fish & Wildlife Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Swan & Goose ntification It's Important to Know ••• Reports from wildlife watcher5 and 5pommen will Head Profiles Trumpeters , afloat, on shore, resting, or in a mild help the biologists monitor the recovery of trumpeter swans stare of alertness, generally have the neck kinked back at the (Cygnus bu«irl41or). Positive identification is essential, as Trumpeter base SO that it appears 10 rise from the forepan of the back trumpeters often mix with Rocksof the relatively common forming a reverse angular C-shape (swimming swan) rather tundra (whistling) 5WanS (c. coiumbianus) throughout their than from the very front of the body as in tundra swans. migration and winter range. Distinguishing trumpeters from When in a state of alertness, trumpeters hold their bodies at tundnLl' is not easy, but it is possible by paying close attemion an angle as compared to tundra's which are held horizontal to a few distinctive characteristics. (standing swan). In general, body postures of trumpeters The mute swan (c. owr) is an introduced EUnLI'ian species are angular and tundra poStures are curved or round. that occurs in North American avicultural collections and in : , Mutes generally hold the neck curved gracefully and bill the wild primarily along the east coast, Great Lakes and in pointed somewhat downward. Wings may be arched over other limited areas of me United Slates and Western British back giving a bulky appearance. Also, nOte size comparison Columbia. It is incl uded here for clarification in those areas yellow marking - cspexially Ihe lenglh of neck - berw~nswans and geese. where it occurs with our native trumpeter and tundra swans. I:!' . on the fore See fiying, standing, and swimming graphics throughout this brochure.
Some of the best ways to spot differences / Trumpeter between the five species ace calls: an absolute method of species identific.:ation. 11.mdra (Whistfing)
Trumpeter: resonant, so norous, loud, low-pitclJed, bugle like call. Mute Tundra : high pitched often quavering 00-00-00 accentuated in the middle; or who, who-ho: woo-oo-woo; orange bin and or who-who. black knob on l(I(ehead Mute Mute: generally silent but not 'mute'; hissing sounds afe common and occasional snorting noiscs. Canada Geese: Ha-lonk, lJa-lonk ",>:-.?t;f!~snowGoose Snow geese : high pitched awu-unk, awu-unk and kuk, (lesser Snow Goose) kuk, kuk \ "'"'.0''' with black 'grin patch' Snow Goose Proportions Ttumpeter Swan Trumpeter swans may be the laSt birds in a mixed Rock to take ofT. They may stay up to one or more minutes longer (no black primary fealhers.~)_ ... of the neck to body length '--/""7 than the tundra swans. This happens when trumpeter Trumpeter swans have longer nttks in proportion to their and tundra swans occur togelher but are not entirdy body lengths than do tundr.u . The~is no Standard rario intermingled (trumpeters remain at one end of the flock formula. bUilhis is a no(icnbtc charactcrinic when the birds as a group). This is a subtle characteristic for separating are either standing or swimming. II is not reliable in flight. trumpeters from tundras and mllS! be used in conjunction with other identification methods. Size Inform ati_Son .... Note the differencc:s in size and color betw~nswa ns Trumpeter 84-% in. 21·30Ibs. GOin. and snow geese. SWIll'" are large all-white (adul t) or gray - (juvenile) birds with a wing span of 6 to 8 feet. Snow geese Tundra 72-80 in. 13-181bs. 52 in. of all ages have black wing tips and a wing span of abom Mute 82-94 in. 20-30Ibs. 57 in. 3 feet. Snow Goose 36-44 in. 4-61bs. 27 in. Canada GOOSe - black neck and head with a white cheek patch; dark body in varying shades of gray Snow Goose brown with the rear If) bei ng white. The tail is black. They (black primary feathers, have a short neck. and a flight panern si milar to snow geese. short neck) IMPORTANT: Some trumpeter swans are marked with identifying neck bands. Please nOte the collar color and number or leners as wdJ as date and location. Flight Profiles ...... - - ./ and Takeoff Behavior For additional information on swans or to report '-- Snow swan sightings contact: Goose Trumpeter swans, following the takeoff run and juS! as:th ey become airborne. will pulllhcir necks into a shallow • The Trumpeter Swan Society KS" curve. This is seen only for a very brief rime during their 126)5 Rockford Rd .. Plymouth, MN 55441 l1.,mdra first wing beaLS 10 slay airborne. Phone: 763~94-7851 WWW.Lrurup;:tcrsW'dnsocicly.org Tund ra swans hold their necks Straight the emirc time of ttss@)rumpctcrswansocicly.org the takeoff run and initial Right. This characteriS(ic applies to bOlh land and water takeoffs. Trumpeter swan End of beak to nostril 2" or more
Yellow teardrop marking on the lore
Tundra swan End of beak to nostril up to 1YJ,".
Snow Goose Tot31 beak length slightly over 2". From tip of beak to back of head is about the same as length of neck.
Ross's Goose-similar to snow goose in shape and color but smaller in Si 7-C, Plumage in all ages have black wing tips (primary feathers), Bill pink, lacks black 'grin patch', ••• Bill Color Trum peter -b lackb ill with red border on lower mandible; the red border may be present on some tundras. Ttump et er Tundra - black bill, us ually with yellow spot of varying size in from of eye; misspo t maybe::Ibse n! on some tundras.
Mute - Snow Goose - bill shoner than swans, dark pink with black 'grin parch', , TUndra Sno w Goos e Head and Neck ••• Movement ••• Head and Bill Shape ....L-'TION Trumpeter swans f~uendrbobtheir head and Trumpeter -bill heavyin proporlion to headwith necks up and down (head bobbing). With this morion they a Slraight profile. Angular head shlllpc somewhat resembling Exercise caution while watching and also have a variety of vocalizations. This combined activity canvasback duck. Eye nOt distinct from bill. and respect apparently serves as a form of communic:uion between photographing wildlife- For species like trUmpeter individuals and with in the group. Head bobbingand Tundra -b ill more dish-shaped in profile, bill smaller in and tundra swans and snow geese, continual disrurbance vocaliuttion aCliviry increase when the bi rds arc disturbed proporlion to head compared to trumpeter. Head smoothly durillg the critical months (winter and spring) can lead to and rC:lchesmaximum intensity just prior to the birds raking rounded: eye usually disrinet from bill. increased dearns from stress-induced disease and can result in failure Right. This behavior may be brief or absent if the birds arc The shape of the head profile may vary between nesting on northern breeding grounds. Please suddenly sranled and take Right. individual birds. Tundra swans especially, have a wide range leave feeding and resting birds alone. of head-bill shapes, some having very obvious concave bills, Stay in your car-it is an excellent observation and Tundra swans do nOt bob their head and neck in this while others appear straighter. Look carefully at the eye area photographic blind. manner. Occ:uionaJly lundrn.'s will nod only their head up for any yellow on the [ore and ro see if the eye is distinct from Move slowly and quietly- when you do get OUt to hike, and down. There is no defined preflight display as in the the bill. bike, canoe or kayak. trumpeter. While vocalizing they may hold their head and neck ou! at a 45° angle. Snow Goose -less than one-half the size of a swan: Use binoculars, spotting scopes a nd telephoto total bill length is about 2"; bill is shOfter compared to head lenses-they allow you to sneak up on wildlife withom length than in sw:ms; bill does not extend veryclose to eye. leaving your car or disturbing their normal activities. Neck length is about the same length and distance from rip of Respect private property-do nOi trespass onto farm bill 10 back ofhead. fields or Other private properry to 'gel a closer look'. Juvenile Identification -both Trumpeter mUStexe rcise C3urion and Tumirll juveniles howe a gray body coloration. T,m4rll juveniles are brighter silvery gray with black legs and feet. ~~~:~:~:,~:~~~,"~o~wi:andgeese andCana inda the geese. excit Swansement Trumpeln-l are darker soory gray, especially in me head ~ occur. Trumpererand and neck area, leg and foot color is primarily yellow Tundra swans are protected in Washington and many orange mottling with some black. From late December other nates. on , Tu"drll juveniles begin turning white and by mid Use Non~toxicshot while March are nearly all white. Trumpeter, remain dark gray. Tumirll bill color is usually mottled pink with black tip: 8r«in.rr '/",NMN ., : b Trumpeters are black at ~ and tip with a pink middle. TheTrumpelef s.a~Soeiety • Wa5hlnC1onGame BIn! Clpb Bill color late in the season gradually fades from pink with Wuhi~rtonWaterfowl AssoclJllon • WildBln!5 Unlimited , £verett, \t6\ black borders to all black in both sptt ies. fmted I¥The I'ridt , CAp/III;5 ArtsOisl1ibullllS, Rednond. \t6\ T""...J.n",.,nMJ iy TIN T... ~ s..11S«IIIJ Mute juvenile plumage white with brownish splotches: bill gray with black b~.Legs and feet are black. Snow goose juveniles are gray with black wing tips. Bills are grayish in color.