Photograph by Margaret Smith

Report a Swan

Photograph by Maxine Sandburg

Trumpeter Watch CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Be part of recording swan history as it happens! You can help us learn about new migration routes, rest stops, wintering areas and nesting grounds.  We share new sightings with swan managers in each flyway. It is so exciting to learn about new areas where Trumpeter Swans are being seen. 

Step 1: Share your sighting with the Bird Banding Lab

Please report any neck collared, wing-tagged, or leg banded Trumpeter Swans to the Bird Banding Lab.  Every bander must register their tagged birds of all species with the Bird Banding Lab.  When you submit a report to the Bird Banding Lab, you will receive a response from them with information about the particular bird you saw, including the bander and any bird age or banding location information. The bander will also receive a report with your sighting.  Thank you for reporting your sighting!

Step 2: Share your swan sighting with us

Join our network of volunteer observers to document the changing distribution of Trumpeter Swans. Your observations will help provide essential information needed to increase the long-term security of Trumpeter Swans as they pioneer new areas. You will be part of a coordinated network of volunteer observers, working together to document swan numbers, dates, locations and the key characteristics of the habitats they are using.

Fill out the quick and easy online Trumpeter Swan Report form below, or download a printable form and mail it to The Trumpeter Swan Society, 12615 Rockford Rd., Plymouth, MN 55441

Quick & Easy Trumpeter Watch Report

Trumpeter Watch Reporting Form

Observer Information

Name (Required)

Email (Required)

State or Province of your swan sighting (Required)

Phone

Mailing Address (City and State/Province are helpful)

Canada United States Country

Address Line 1

City

State

Postal Code

Would you like to sign up for our monthly email newsletter? Keep updated on swan issues and progress across North America.

1. Yes
2. No

Observation Details and Location

Are you reporting a Trumpeter Swan sighting?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I'm not sure what kind of swan I'm seeing

Date(s) of Sightings

Time of day and weather conditions?

Please provide a detailed description of the location of your observation

Or, use the GPS location from your phone or the link below.

It is helpful for us to know if swans are in a river, lake, wetland, or on shore, or if they are in a field.

Please provide a detailed description of the location of your observation. This should include nearest city, intersection, name of waterbody, and/or GPS coordinates if you have them. (Required)

How many swans did you see?

How many adult (white) swans were seen?

How many juvenile (grey feathered) swans did you see?

Marked Swans (collars, leg bands, wing tags)

If any swans were marked, let us know the number of marked swans, if they were white or gray, and the collar colors (of the collar itself and color of the letters/numbers), leg band number or wing tag (colors of tag and number). E.g., yellow wing tag J28; red collar, white letters T62

Marked swans: swan color (white, gray), collar/tag color, number/letter color, and if any unmarked swans were present as well.

Any additional information or questions you would like to share (e.g., is this the first time you've seen them in this location, have swans been seen there is prior years? This helps us us know if it is a new area.)

If you have photos of the swan species you saw, please upload your photo(s) or email your photo(s) to ttss@trumpeterswansociety.org

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Thank you!

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Prefer to mail in your swan sighting report?

Handy tools for your Trumpeter Swan sighting

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  Swan ID by Collar Color

  Where was the swan banded? Here's a list of collar colors and numbers used by different state and provincial swan restoration programs(pdf). Your report from the Bird Banding Lab will confirm the state or province of your marked swan.

  Yellow collars with black numbers and letter are usually from Wisconsin. Red collars can be from Iowa or from the Rocky Mountain region. Green collars can be from the Pacific Flyway, or even from Minnesota or Iowa. Yellow wing tags are from Ontario.