More trumpeter swans finding new homes in Arkansas

More young trumpeter swans are finding new homes in the wild in Arkansas. Eleven swans brought in from Iowa were released Tuesday at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, near Dardanelle, and four were released Wednesday at the Boxley Valley mill pond on the Buffalo National River in western Newton County.

The latest swan releases were the second segment of a three-year experimental program of Iowa's Department of Natural Resources and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, according to Karen Rowe, the AGFC's non-game migratory bird program coordinator.

Ron Andrews and Dave Hoffman of the Iowa DNR brought the young trumpeter swans to Arkansas. Also participating in the project are Buffalo National River and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Iowa to Arkansas translocation of trumpeter swans is a three-year experiment to see if migrating instincts can be encouraged for the birds. In 2008, 20 young trumpeter swans were brought from Iowa to Arkansas. The exact number to be moved in 2010 depends on swan reproduction in Iowa as well as observation of the birds already moved to Arkansas.

Trumpeter swans are increasing in Arkansas, with most of them spending the winter at little Magness Lake just east of Heber Springs, where they have been wintering since the early 1990s. The swans are part of a successful restoration program that started in Minnesota and has expanded to Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio.

In the 1960s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states in addition to about 2000 in Alaska.

Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in North America, weighing 25 to 30 pounds. Wing span is about 8 feet. In comparison, the giant subspecies of Canada geese living in Arkansas weigh about 12 pounds. Snow geese weigh about 7 pounds.

Trumpeter swans are increasing in Arkansas, and they are occasionally seen in several parts of the state in addition to Magness Lake, where they have been wintering since the early 1990s.

Some trumpeter swan questions and answers:

Are trumpeter swans an endangered

species?

In the 1960's, when the Federal Endangered Species Act came into being, the trumpeter swan was considered for this list. At about the same time, a nesting population of about 2,000 trumpeters was discovered in Alaska. The species was then taken off the consideration list. However, various states list the trumpeter as either state-threatened or state-endangered.

What is a male and Female swan called, a female swan?

A male is called a cob. The female is called a pen and the young of the year are called cygnets.

What do trumpeter swans eat?

Adult swans eat aquatic vegetation, including the leaves, seeds, and roots of many types of pond weeds. In captivity, swans will eat corn and other grains provided. Wild swans have also adapted to field feeding, eating left over grains and vegetables that have been harvested by farmers.

How many eggs do trumpeter swans lay?

They lay, on the average, three to eight eggs. Only one clutch of eggs is laid per year. The swans build their nests out of stems and leaves from plants such as cattails and sedges. Trumpeters often nest on top of muskrat or beaver lodges.

How big are

trumpeter swans?

They are the largest waterfowl in North America, weighing 25 to 30 pounds. Wing span is about 8 feet. In comparison, the giant subspecies of Canada geese living in Arkansas weigh about 12 pounds. Snow geese weigh about 7 pounds.

Where can I see trumpeter swans in Arkansas?

The established viewing area from late November to late February or early March is at Magness Lake, a small oxbow off Little Red River east of Heber Springs. Drive east on Arkansas Highway 110 from its intersection with Arkansas Highways 5 and 25 just east of Heber Springs. Go 3.9 miles from the intersection to Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, marked with a white sign. Turn left on Hays Road, a paved county road. Magness Lake is about a half-mile down this road, and a gravel parking area is at an S curve in the road.

How did trumpeter swans get their name?

If you are ever around these birds, you'll have the answer. It's their call - a loud and melodious "trumpeting

(Log Cabin outdoor writer Joe Mosby can be contacted by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com.)