The largest of the Arctic birds, the Tundra swan nests on islands or edges of ponds, and may reuse the site each summer. Tundra swans mate for life, and remain close to each other all year long. Young swans accompany their parents for the first year, learning migration routes and staging areas. Arctic coastal plain mid-May. Arrive Chesapeake Bay for over-wintering, early November.
Many swans continue south to eastern North Carolina for the winter.