They’re back – Tundra swans arrive to rest on their journey north

Tundra swans have returned to the region, bringing with them the hope of spring. The area acts as a stop as the swans migrate north to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic.

By Judy Finkbeiner Johnson

Thousands of snowy-white tundra swans announce their arrival each year around the final weeks of winter, and their presence is heralded as a promise of spring.

The chatty birds communicate with others flying in their group with honking or bugling sounds. If they are closer than one hundred feet above you on their approach, birdwatchers can listen for the whistling sound the wind makes as it passes through their wings. That sound is the reason tundra swans are also called whistling swans.

Since the centuries that created the now non-existent Lake Smith and two other small lakes that made up the massive 17,000-acre wetlands called the Old Thedford Bog, generations of tundra swans have followed their incredibly precise GPS to the same places. A popular spot is on Greenway Road near Highway 21, east of the Lambton Heritage Museum.

Tundra swans pause there to rest and feed on the remnants of 2025 crops of corn and soybeans and underwater vegetation. They need a huge amount of energy for the arduous journey north from their overwintering grounds in Chesapeake Bay, Delaware, and the Carolinas to the Canadian Arctic. Their round-trip journey north to breeding grounds and south to overwinter is over 12,000 kilometers long.

Binoculars, a camera with a telephoto lens and a cell phone for researching information or swan calls can help when viewing the swans. The late-winter winds that are unimpeded by structures are often strong and very cold and raw, meaning birdwatchers may wish to dress for the cold temperatures.

For comprehensive information from Lambton Heritage Museum about tundra swan migration routes, Thedford Bog information, swan numbers during sightings, a quiz and much more, visit returnoftheswans.com. The museum is also hosting a Tundra Swan exhibit, which is running until April 4 this year.

In other areas, like south of Grand Bend on the way to Sarnia, two other swan species may be seen: the longest and heaviest native North American trumpeter swan and the mute swan. Mute swans often glide along the water with their wings partially raised.

Researching the difference between a tundra swan and a trumpeter swan may be helpful since they look similar.

Tundra, trumpeter and mute swans all have a white body. There can be some staining of the neck feathers from “bottoms up” tipping up in the water to feed on underwater vegetation.

Tundra swans have a black bill, which usually has a yellow patch near the eye. Meanwhile, Trumpeters have a black bill with a black patch that extends from the base of the bill to the eye, and mutes possess an orange bill with a raised black knob on its upper part near the base.

Tundra, trumpeter and mute swans are all strikingly impressive in terms of size and wingspan.

Tundra swans generally weigh between 14 and 20 pounds, with a body length ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 feet and a wingspan of 5 to 6.5 feet. Trumpeter swans tip the scale at 20 to over 30 pounds, reach lengths of 4.5 to 5.5 feet and boast an expansive wingspan from 6 to 8 feet. Mute swans weigh in at 24 to 32 pounds, measure 4 to 5 feet in length and display impressive wingspans between 6.7 and 7.8 feet. These measurements highlight the grandeur and presence of swans, making them a captivating sight for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts alike.

Swans usually mate for life and deeply grieve the loss of a partner. After a lengthy period, the survivor might mate again. Both male and female co-parent young.

The vast majority of a tundra swan’s more than 25,000 feathers are on its neck.

The honk of the tundra is higher than the deeper vocalizations of the Trumpeter. The mute swan has a hoarse, muffled call when bothered that can’t be heard as far away as other swan species’ sounds, and pairs greet with a brief snore.

Tundra Swans are seen in the region only during migration when they gather as staging areas in flocks. At a distance on land, they resemble snowbanks, while on water they can look like floes of snow-covered ice.

Mute swans are exotic swans native to Europe and Asia, imported into North America in the mid-1800s for their beauty. They are the type of swan celebrated in “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Anderson.

Swans are celebrated in stories, songs, ballets and film. White swans symbolize grace, love, purity, and transformation. Black swans are associated with mystery, uncertainty, and surprise and sometimes become the villains in tales.