| Common Name | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus buccinator |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 03/31/2018 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | James Osborn |
| Mailing Address | O-2 Grandview Drive South Burlington, VT 05403 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 03/31/2018 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | No one else contributed to this report form. However, the bird was photographed by Jim Mead who said that he would attach the photos on his eBird checklist later today. |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.5613 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.1780 |
| Place Name | Mallett’s Creek |
| Township | Colchester |
| County | Chittenden |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org.ebird |
| Time of Day | 08:55 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 5 Minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 250 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 200 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Bird was “lit up” by the Sun. Calm conditions in the area. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Zeiss 8X42 Binoculars |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | I have extensive experience with this Species having spent 70 days at Montezuma NWR in Western New York where they are a breeding bird. This year I found the bird at Charcoal Creek (Missisquoi NWR) in Swanton on March 18th. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Mallett’s Creek is a area where several brooks converge. It is what you could call a fresh water Marshy area. At the time of this observation the Swan was associating with several Mallards and a pair of Canada Geese. |
| Behaviors Observed | The Swan was feeding voraciously in the Marshy area just South of the Creek. It didn’t really interact with any of the other waterfowl around it. Since I was in a car there was no reaction by the bird to me. |
| Description of Vocalizations | None Heard. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | I was driving North on Interstate 89 when I noticed a very large “white” bird in the Creek along the East side of the highway. I knew right away that it was a Swan. I had plenty of time to slow down and pull over onto the “breakdown” area. The bird was feeding continuously in the Marshy area South of the main Creek. When it lifted its head I could see that it had a long bill that had a distinct V-shape where it attached to its forehead. The bird was very heavy-looking and had an angular shape to the head and neck. The crown had fairly heavy iron-staining, but the rest of the bird seemed to be pure white. The red gape was very thin but noticeably bright. My first thought was that this bird was the same one that I found back on March 18th at Charcoal Creek (Missisquoi NWR) in Swanton. Perhaps it is. I then keep going North on Interstate 89 and exited at Exit 17 (Route 2 Champlain Islands). I stopped and called Jim Mead who I knew hadn’t seen this Species in Chittenden County. Then I went back South, and he and I met at the Weigh Station just South of where the bird was. Jim took several photos of the bird which helped us confirm the ID. He said that he will post them on his eBird checklist later today. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Very large Swan. Sleek but heavy-looking. Considerably larger than the Canada Geese that it was associating with. |
| Head | Angular head and neck. Some heavy iron-staining on the crown. Cheeks were white, as was the nape and throat. Eye not easy to discern. |
| Feet & Bill | Did not see the feet as the bird never left the water. Bill was long, Black, and attached in a V-shape to the forehead. NO YELLOW in the lores. The lores appeared to be the same width as the eye. |
| Upper Back | Pure white. |
| Lower Back & Rump | Pure white. |
| Wings | Wings were folded so you couldn’t discern anything from them. No markings seen. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | All areas of this bird were white. Some areas you could not see due to the bird being in the water. |
| Tail | Somewhat short with no markings |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Tundra Swan - eliminated by SIZE, shape of the head and neck, and there being NO YELLOW in the lores. Also, the V-shape instead of a U-shape connection was very apparent. This bird was HUGE. Tundra Swans are considered small in comparison. |
| Other Notes & Comments | No age or sex was determined. This could easily be the bird from Swanton considering the number of days that have passed since that bird was last seen up there. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | During the Observation |
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