"If you’ve ever rounded a bend in a Wyoming river on a frosty morning and suddenly found yourself face to face with a bird that looks like it belongs on a medieval coat of arms, congratulations—you may have met the Trumpeter Swan. Towering, snow-white, and impossibly elegant, this is the largest waterfowl in the world, a bird so impressive it seems almost mythical. Yet its story in the West is one of grit, recovery, and a whole lot of wetland real estate.

Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) once ruled wetlands across much of North America, from Alaska to the Great Plains and into the northern Rockies. By the early 1900s, however, market and subsistence hunting had pushed them to the brink. By the time conservationists took stock, fewer than a couple hundred birds clung to survival near Yellowstone and in interior Canada.

Fast forward to modern Wyoming, and the picture—while still delicate—is far brighter. These swans are now managed as part of the Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) under the Pacific Flyway. Though a Tri-State Area flock was once considered for Endangered Species Act listing, federal biologists ultimately decided it didn’t qualify as a separate Distinct Population Segment. Translation: the birds stayed protected, but their recovery would depend on smart management rather than emergency listing...."Trumpeter Swans are living proof that conservation can work—even for a species once nearly erased from the map. Spotting one gliding across a Wyoming wetland isn’t just a wildlife sighting; it’s a glimpse of a hard-won recovery still unfolding. Big bird, big wings, big story—and Wyoming is right in the middle of it.

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ARKANSAS: "Each winter, hundreds of massive white trumpeter swans migrate to Magness Lake near Heber Springs, making the area one of Arkansas’ most unique and popular wildlife viewing destinations. The swans typically arrive around Thanksgiving and remain through Valentine’s Day, offering visitors a rare chance to see North America’s largest waterfowl up close." Read more...

IOWA: "owa’s trumpeter swans attempted a modern-day record 158 nests in 2025, which is an increase of 17% over 2022. The nesting data is from the most recent statewide observation survey completed in December.

“It’s a neat story about the restoration. We spent a lot of time and effort to get the population established and its really taking off right now,” said Orrin Jones, state waterfowl biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Recovery has taken time, but is a true modern-day conservation success story, he said.

The restoration effort was supported by the Iowa DNR’s Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund; a constitutionally protected fund where hunting, fishing and trapping license fees are deposited and used, in part, to protect, restore, or manage fish and wildlife.

The largest waterfowl in North America, trumpeter swans have come a long way since the 1930s, when conservation efforts began in order to protect small populations in Montana and Alaska." Listen to the article

CBS SUNDAY MORNING: "We leave you this Sunday before Christmas with trumpeter swans a-swimmin' near Brainerd, Minnesota. Videographer: Kevin Kjergaard."

IDAHO: "During the recent unusually warm month, hundreds of trumpeters have been feeding on the rotten potatoes on the bench east of Rexburg as well as in fields all the way to Shelley. With no frost in the ground, the swans find the leftover spuds easy picking as the warm weather also allowed farmers to work the fields. This exposed many of the small, tasty morsels that would have been frozen in the ground, out of reach for these huge birds.

It appears the swans prefer the rotted potatoes more than wheat, corn or other seeds planted at Deer Parks Wildlife Management Area, west of the Menan Buttes. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game plants fields of these seeds and does not harvest all of them so that the wintering swans and the spring migrating waterfowl can have them to eat. Normally, at this time of year, thousands of trumpeters can be seen feeding at Deer Parks WMA, but last week, when I visited that area, I did not see a single swan feeding on the grain and corn." Listen to the article...

BRITISH COLUMBIA: "Trumpeter swans are back on the Kootenay River, settling in for their winter stay. They come through the region every year, but it never gets old seeing them glide along the quiet stretches of water, especially when the light is soft and the valley is still."
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Ohio restored trumpeter swans to the state between 1996-2003.

In this webinar you will discover the process required by a state for trumpeter swan restoration, including the role of the Flyway approval.

You’ll learn how the state’s historic wetland loss and growth of the non-native mute swan population influenced management actions as Ohio worked to ensure the best wetland habitat for trumpeter swans.

You’ll also explore the fascinating movements of Ohio trumpeter swans with GPS/GSM collars that were part of the larger Midwest trumpeter swan movement research.
Presenter: Laura Kearns, PhD., Ohio Division of Wildlife

Dec. 9, 2025
"The presentation was very informative, Interested in the history and the collaborations with many different organizations, zoos and individuals. Good maps and graphs. Congratulations on restoration!