26 Mute Swans in the Hudson Bay Lowland Kenneth F. Abraham and R. Kenyon Ross Mute Swans (Cygnus alar) are from a helicopter and visually con­ increasing throughout eastern firmed by another occupant (Brian North America (Ciaranca et al. Arquilla, OMNR summer student). 1997). In Ontario, they are wide­ The bird was alone but took flight spread throughout the lower Great as we approached to attempt to Lakes, especially in coastal marshes take a photograph. and large inland wetlands, and they On 10 June 1997, during a heli­ are increasing at a rate of 10-18% copter waterfowl survey along the per year (Petrie and Francis 2003). Hudson Bay coastline from Their occurrence in northern Churchill, Manitoba to Moosonee, Ontario is minimal and is correlat­ Ontario, we encountered a single ed with humans (e.g., where captive Mute Swan at 56° 55.7' N, 89° 30.6' birds are seasonally placed on W on the Manitoba coast between lakes, as in Cochrane, or as in Kaskattama River and Black Duck Thunder Bay, where feral popula­ River. Ontario Ministry of Natural tions are established nearby in Resources (OMNR) helicopter Lake Superior areas of Michigan pilot Kevin Mulcair spotted the and Wisconsin). Mute Swans are swan and reported to us: "there's a uncommon in Manitoba and con­ swan with a yellow bill"; we imme­ fined to the southern part of the diately reversed direction to try to province (MARC 2003). In this locate it. We (KFA and RKR) were note, we report four observations both able to visually confirm the representing the first known occur­ identification as we flew along side rences of feral Mute Swans in the it and attempted to take photo­ Hudson Bay Lowland (hereafter graphs. The bird was not with any HBL or Lowland) of Ontario and other swans although other water­ Manitoba. fowl were noted in the general On 6 August 1996, during vicinity, including Tundra Swan (C. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) columbianus), Snow Goose (Chen banding operations on the Hudson caerulescens caerulescens) and Bay coast west of Ft. Severn, Canada Goose. Ontario, KFA sighted a single Mute On 2 June 2001, Ted Barney Swan standing on the nearshore (OMNR summer student) and Dan flats of a coastal marsh at the Black Byers (OMNR Technician) sighted Currant River, at 56° 06.4' N, 87° a lone Mute Swan near 38.2' W. This observation was made Cockispenny Point, 52° 01' N, 81° ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2005 27 00' W, on the James Bay coast south migration and/or breeding area for of Ft. Albany. They were in a heli­ waterfowl (Thomas and Prevett copter flying along the shore when 1982), including several million they saw the lone swan. migrating Snow Geese and Canada On 16 July 2004, KFA observed Geese, approximately 300,000 nest­ a single Mute Swan on the ing Snow Geese and one-half mil­ nearshore flats just north of the lion nesting Canada Geese, and Attawapiskat River on the James thousands of migrating Cackling Bay coast at 53° 04' N, 87° 16' W, Geese (B. hutchinsii) and Atlantic while searching from a helicopter Brant (B. bernicla hrota) (Abraham for Canada Goose brood flocks. and Jefferies 1997). A small popu­ The bird was alone and took flight lation of nesting Tundra Swans is when we approached to make a present in the HBL (Lumsden 1987, video recording. The identification MARC 2003). Additionally, tens of was visually confirmed by Carrie thousands of temperate-nesting Sadowski, Derek Potter and Sarah large Canada Geese (B. c. maxima) Hagey (OMNR biologists). from throughout eastern and cen­ tral North America migrate to the Discussion Lowland to undergo the molt of The four observations described their wing and tail feathers above have some common features. (Abraham et al. 1999). All four birds were capable of There are three reasonable flight, despite a calendar date span (and non-exclusive) hypotheses of eight weeks. All four birds were about the course of arrival of the alone at the time of sighting and in Mute Swans reported here. First, the immediate vicinity of the they may have come north from Hudson or James Bay coasts. In all natal or breeding locations in cases, the birds appeared to be in southern Canada or the northeast­ adult plumage, and had noticeable ern United States on molt migra­ orange bills easily seen from the tion or exploratory wanderings. helicopter. However, we note that Second, they may have migrated anyone of the swans could have with Tundra Swans from wintering been a second year bird (i.e., a year­ areas along the Atlantic Coast of ling) because small amounts of the United States. Third, they may brown-grey in the plumage would have migrated with large Canada be nearly impossible to detect from Geese from the lower Great Lakes. a helicopter. Although some local seasonal It is not surprising that, with movements (e.g., winter concentra­ the increase of Mute Swan popula­ tions and molt concentrations) of tions in eastern North America, the Mute Swans are known to occur in species would reach the HBL. The the southern Canada and the north­ Lowland is a globally significant eastern United States populations, VOLUME 23 NUMBER 1 28 most birds are largely sedentary May. The fact that none of the four (Ciaranca et al. 1997). There is no Mute Swans was observed associat­ evidence of any established north­ ing with Tundra Swans (e.g., they ward molt migration. In their native might have associated with non­ range, Mute Swans vary in mobility: breeding or failed-breeding birds, as "wholly migratory in some parts, these are present) detracts from this mainly sedentary in others; also par­ hypothesis. Additionally, none of tial migrant" (Cramp and Simmons our observations were made in 1977). They are largely sedentary April or May (during Tundra Swan year-round in more temperate west­ migration). Although we conducted ern European breeding areas where surveys in all months from May to populations are feral (94 % of move­ August, we flew more in June and ments are less than 50 km). July than other times and therefore However, they are migratory in we cannot discount the possibility northern parts of the breeding range that the timing of the Mute Swan (i.e., Scandinavia, north Germany to observations was partly the result of Estonia). Of particular interest in greater effort later in the summer. this case is that a major northward The molt migration of temper­ molt migration occurs in the north­ ate-nesting large Canada Geese ern European range, with up to occurs from about the third week in 15,000 molters present in molting May to the second week in June, concentrations in Scandinavia from peaking near 1 June (Abraham et July to September (Cramp and al. 1999). The majority of birds Simmons 1977). The coastal habitat come from areas where Mute of James Bay and Hudson Bay con­ Swans are increasing (e.g., Ohio, forms to the type of habitats Mute Michigan, southern Ontario). Mute Swans use as molt migration areas in Swans and Canada Geese from Europe, and the dates of our obser­ these areas share similar habitats. vations in the HBL are consistent Other large waterfowl (hybrids, with pre-molt movements, given such as Canada Geese x domestic that most wing molt in North geese, and escaped captive Canada American Mute Swans is mid July Geese) have been observed and (as early as June) to mid August captured with molt migrant Canada (Ciaranca et al. 1997). Geese during OMNR banding The majority of eastern Tundra operations in the Lowland Swans winter along the mid­ (OMNR, unpublished data). The Atlantic coast of the United States observations of Mute Swans report­ (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, ed here all occurred near or after North and South Carolina) in areas the peak of the annual Canada where Mute Swans are numerous Goose molt migration to the HBL. year-round. Tundra Swans return to While they may not have migrated the HBL in late April and early with Canada Geese, their move- ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2005 29 ments might have been influenced approximately 20 June and 10 by this peak of migratory activity. August in most years. The fact that all the Mute We know of no other records of Swans we observed were capable of Mute Swan observations in the sustained flight raises the question Hudson Bay Lowland. First of when and where they spent their Nations hunters often report flightless period. Mute Swans have unusual waterfowl, but we have had a relatively long flightless period no such reports about Mute Swan (35-42 days; Hohman et al. 1992). from residents of the HBL commu­ The 10 June 1997 and 2 June 2001 nities in Ontario. We have little observations were almost certainly doubt that our observations are not that of pre-molt birds; few water­ the only cases of Mute Swans fowl are flightless at those calendar reaching the Hudson Bay Lowland, dates in the Hudson Bay Lowland. and it is possible that they may be However, the 16 July 2004 bird and the vanguard of a new molt migra­ the 6 August 1996 bird probably tion tradition. Given the population should have been flightless, as the trajectories of Mute Swans in flightless period is usually mid July southern Canada and the north­ to mid August in the North eastern United States, we expect American breeding range. such observations to continue. However, either could have been pre-molt because factors affecting Acknowledgements molt timing in waterfowl include We thank Ted Barney for allowing age, sex, reproductive condition, us to include the observation he seasonal phenology and social sta­ made while working as a summer tus (Hohman et al.