The swan's story

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Lots of local residents are surprised to find that swans are a fairly common bird in our region. Find out all about them.

By Metro naturalist James Davis

Learning about swans

Quick, name the world's heaviest flying animal. Condor? Eagle? Albatross? These are all good contenders but the champ – at almost 40 pounds – is the trumpeter swan. Close behind is the other swan that lives in the Northwest, the tundra swan. Most local residents are surprised to learn that swans are indeed a fairly common bird in our region. You just have to know when and where to look.

Trumpeter (above) and tundra swans are among the many species of waterfowl that make themselves at home in Western Oregon during the winter.

Tundra and trumpeter swans are among the many species of waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans) that spend the winter in the abundant rivers, lakes and wetlands of Western Oregon and in the many bays and estuaries along the coast. Waterfowl cannot survive where the water freezes, so when things start icing up on their nesting grounds, the birds head to areas with plenty of open water all winter long. The Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River and most wetlands in the Willamette Valley don't freeze, so our region is a balmy winter home for tens of thousands of waterfowl.

Migration and habitat

Swans are generally the last waterfowl to arrive for the winter and the first to leave in the spring, so the best time to see them is from November through February. Some of their favorite spots near Portland are Sauvie Island, Fernhill Wetlands, Jackson Bottom and Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington. A couple of thousand spend the winter in the lower Columbia River from Longview to the mouth of the river.

Sometime in March, all the swans in our area leave to nest in Alaska and Northern Canada. And when these guys fly, they don't mess around. Some tundra swans fly 1,000 miles at a stretch without stopping, and migrate 8,000 miles a year roundtrip. They can cruise along a mile high at 50 miles per hour.

Mating and care for their young

Swans mate for life. Both male and female prepare the nest, incubate the eggs and care for the young for many months. Although the female does much more of the incubating, the male remains close by, standing guard and being notoriously aggressive in defense of the nesting territory. The young usually stay with their parents through the migration south, learning the route as they travel in the safety of the flock.

See for yourself

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