Tundra swans form strong, permanent, monogamous relationships. During the brief Arctic spring, breeding females build their nests out of sedge and moss, lining them with down to insulate their eggs from the cold. They usually lay from 4 to 6 creamy white eggs, which they incubate for 35 to 40 days. In the fall, large numbers of tundra swans migrate from the Arctic to North Carolina and other locales along the Atlantic Coast. T hey fly in flocks of several hundred, making mellow bugling calls to each other.
Tundra swans make many stops along their migration route.
Two major stopping points are the Great Lakes and the Niagara River, where some unfortunate swans get too close to the brink of the falls and are swept over it to their deaths. Tundra swans have escaped this fate because they breed in remote areas that are free from human contact. Video Download video footage of a large flock of swans in flight. You will need RealPlayer to view this video. References Special thanks to the National Audubon Society.