Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Also known as: Bewick's Swan, Bewic's Swan, Whistling Swan
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
6.4 kg
About This Species
Large flocks gather on lakes, estuaries and flooded farmland, often grazing on waste grain and aquatic tubers in open fields alongside geese. Listen for the high, bugling calls that carry over long distances well before the birds come into view. Best seen during migration stopovers and on wintering grounds from late autumn through winter, when flocks can number in the hundreds.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- View from a vehicle or hide at 100 metres or more, since large gatherings flush easily and disturbance wastes energy reserves they need for migration.
- Swans and their habitats are protected under wildfowl and migratory bird legislation across most of their range, though specific hunting seasons and buffer distances vary by country and state, so check local regulations rather than assuming one set of rules applies everywhere.
- Avoid approaching on foot across open ground; use existing cover and keep noise to a minimum.
LCAvesAnseriformesAnatidae
Seasonal Activity
892,325 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 6.4 kg
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.