Swan and Goose Identification It's Important to Know

    Reports from sportsmen and wildlife watchers will help the Department of Natural Resources monitor the recovery of the trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator).  Postive indentification is essential, as trumpeters often mix with flocks of the relatively common tundra (whistling) swans (C. columbianus) throughout their migration and winter range.  Distinguishing trumpeters from tundra's is not easy, but it is possible by paying close attention to a few distinctive characteristics.

  The mute swan (C. olor) is an introduced Eurasian species that occurs in North American avicultural collections and in the wild primarily along the east coast, Great Lakes and in other limited areas of the United States.  When mute swans are allowed free fight they can become an invasive and nuisance species.

Some of the best ways to spot differences between the five species are calls; an absolute method of species identification.

Trumpeter: resonant, sonorous, loud, low pitched, bugle like call.

Tundra: high pitched, often quavering oo-oo-oo accentuated in the middle; or who, who-ho; woo-oo-woo; or who-who

Mute: generally silent but not "mute"; hissing sounds are common and occasional purring noises.

Canada geese: Ha-lonk, ha-lonk.

Snow geese: High pitched awu-unk, awu-unk and kuk, kuk, kuk.

    Sportsmen must exercise caution while hunting snow and Canada geese.  As swan populations increase, more of them will be mixed in with lesser snow and Canada geese and in excitement of the hunt, shooting mistakes can occur.  Trumpeter and tundra swans are protected.  Shooting a trumpeter swan can result in fines in excess of $1500 and can impact future hunting priveleges.

    Caution and respect while watching and photographing wildlife should also be exercised.  We also discourage the hand feeding of all waterfowl.  Nesting swans can occassionally be aggressive.  People in small boats and canoes should be careful during the swan nesting season.  A nesting swan, protecting their nesting area, may rush these crafts and cause them to over turn.  Please use good ethics while enjoying all outdoor activities.

    Many trumpeter swans are marked with identifying neck collars or wing markers.  Please note the color of the collar or the wing marker and any identifying letters or numbers as well as date and location.
 
 

                Please report swan sightings to:
                            Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources
                            Fish & Wildlife Station
                            1203 North Shore Drive
                            Clear Lake, IA 50428
                            515-357-3517
 
 

    Trumpeters, afloat, on shore, resting, or in a mild state of alertness, generally have the neck kinked back at the base so that it appears to rise from the forepart of the back forming a reverse angular C-shape (swimming swan) rather than from the very front of the body as in tundra swans.  When in a state of alertness, trumpeters hold their bodies at an angle as compared to tundra's which are held horizontal (standing swan).
    In general, body postures of trumpeters are angular and tundra postures are curved or round.  Mutes generally hold the neck curved gracefully and bill pointed somewhat downward.  Wings may be arched over back giving a bulky appearance.  Also note size comparision, especially the length of neck, between swans and geese.
    See flying, standing and swimming graphics throughout this brochure.
 
 

    Trumpeter swans have longer necks in proportion to their body lengths than do tundras.  There is no standard ratio formula but this is a noticeable characteristic when the birds are either standing or swimming.  It is not reliable in flight.

Flight Profiles and Takeoff Behavior

    Trumpeter swans, following the takeoff run and just as they become airborne, will pull their necks into a shallow "S" curve.  This is seen only for a very brief time during their first wing beats to stay airborne.

    Tundra swans hold their necks straight the entire time of the takeoff run and initial flight.  This characteristic applies to both land and water takeoffs.

     Trumpeter swans may be the last birds in a mixed flock to take off.  They may stay as long as one or more minutes longer than the tundra swans.  This happens when trumpeter and tundra swans occur together but are not entirely intermingled (trumpeters remain at one end of the flock as a group).  This behavior is usually seen in smaller mixed flocks of less than 200 swans.  This is a subtle characteristic for separating trumpeters from tundras and must be used in conjunction with other identification methods.

    Especially note relative size comparisons of swans, Canada geese and snow geese.  Swans are large all white (adult) or gray  (juvenile) birds with a wing span of 6 to 8 feet.  Snow geese of all ages have black wing tips and wing span of about 3 or 4 feet.
 
 
 

Note: The DNR advises that swans are sensitive to human intrusion, so while observing them, we encourage you to maintain some distance between yourself and them, especially if they are nesting.

Head and Bill Shape
 

Trumpeter - bill heavy in proportion to head with a straight profile.  Angular head shape somewhat resembling canvasback duck.  Eye not distinct from bill.
 

Tundra - bill more dish-shaped in profile, bill smaller in proportion to head compared to trumpeter.  Head smoothly rounded; eye usually distinct from bill.

    The shape of the head profile may vary between individual birds.  Tundra swans, especially, have a wide range of head-bill shapes, some having very obvious concave bills, while others appear straighter.  Look carefully at the eye area for any yellow on the lore and to see if the eye is distinct from the bill as in the tundra swan.
 

Snow Geese - less than one-half the size of a swan; total bill length is about 2"; bill is much smaller and dark pink and black in color.  Does not extend very close to the eye.  Outer primaries on adult snow geese are black.  Neck length is about the same length and distance from tip of bill to back of head.
 
 

Head and Neck Movement

    Trumpeter swans frequently bob their head and necks up and down (head bobbing).  With this motion they also have a variety of vocalizations.  This combined activity apparently serves as a form of communication between individuals and within the group.  Head bobbing and vocalization activity increase when the birds are disturbed and reaches maximum intensity just prior to the birds taking flight.  This behavior may be brief or absent if the birds are suddenly startled and take flight.

    Tundra swans do not bob their head and neck in this manner.  Occasionally tundra's will nod only their head up and down.  There is no defined preflight display as in the trumpeter.

Junvenile Identification

    Both species of juvenile swans and juvenile snow geese have a gray body coloration.  Trumpeter and tundra swan bills are black at the tip and base, with pink in the middle.  From late December on, juvenile trumpeters are usually much darker and duller gray then juvenile tundra's.  Late in the season the bill color gradually fades to black in both species.  Mute juvenile plumage may be white or brownish; bill gray with black base.  Juvenile snow goose bills are primarily grayish in color until they are one-year-old.

Trumpeter - black bill with red border on lower mandible; the red border may be present on some tundras.

Tundra - black bill, usually with yellow spot of varying size in front of eye; this spot may be absent on some tundras.

Mute - orange with prominent black knob at the base.

Snow/Blue Goose - bill much smaller, dark pink and black in color; does not extend very close to eye.
 

Bill Length

Trumpeter - end of beak to nostril 2 in. or more.

Tundra - end of beak to nostril up to 1.5 in.

Snow Goose - total beak length slightly over 2 in.  From tip of beak to back of head is about the same as length of neck

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Last updated March 7, 2000.