Evening star., 1941-08-31
Preserving the
Trumpeter Swan
BIZ Frederic J. HdSktn.

vildlife. of which there is an alarming
number of species, the Fish and Wildlifs
Service of the Department Of the In.
terror reports that the number OF trum-
peter swans in this country is now only
100. Fortunately, however, this Is an
increase. for when a checkup Of this bird
was made in 1896 only lis could be found
on the reservations on which they are
located. count two years later showed
15e. and now, since the number has fur
ther increased, wildlife conservationists
are hopeful of preventing this largest
of all North American wild fowl from
becoming extinct. They say, however.
that the battle for the birds future has
not been won, but that it can be.
Relatively few people ever have seen
a trumpeter swan. Confined as they
are to only four places in the West.
principally Red Rock Lakes Refuge.
Mont, and being unusually shy of man
and beast, they are not easy to observe.
Not only have these conditions narrowed
the number Of people who have seen a
trumpeter swan, but from the time the
ice breaks on the lakes. about which they
prefer to live. until the lst Of August,
when the young birds are about grown.
no one is permitted on the reservations
where the birds do their nesting. Even
superintendents of the bird ssnctuarles
where trumpeter swans live apply this
restriction to themselves.
1t was only few years ago that natu-
ralists were saying the swan song Of the
trumpeter swan would soon be sung.
They had reason for this pessimism,
| and their prophecy is not yet to be dis
| counted, for until about rs years ago
this swan could be found in fairly large
| numbers in Indiana. Wisconsin. Iowa,
Montana and Minnesota. In the last
State quite a number of these birds were
found as late as 1886. 1t was the dis
covery of their rapid determination by
! hunters and the increase in the apprecia-
ton of wildlife that brought about con-
certed effort by Federal and State Gov
ernments to conserve the species. The
| process has been slow, but the gradual
increase would seem to indicate that
this great American bird is not yet TO
pass from the scene.
One of the worst enemies to the trum-
peter swan is the coyote. This sneak
thief of the underbrush. which devours
both eggs and young, all but sent this
priced bird the way of the great aux
and the passenger pigeon. When boun-
! ties were offered for coyote scalps a
/ partial victory for the trumpeter swan
was won.
The shyness and easy fright Of the
| trumpeter swan has added much to its
decline in numbers. For instance. the
eggs are easily damaged when exposed
to heat or cold, and when a nest is ap-
proa ached the mother bird makes a
/ flight, never a fight Her long absence
may be the means of permitting an over
| cast sky, a storm, or too much sun to
| injure the eggs and prevent them from
/ Matching. WFs@n there were great vii
/ dernesses these birds could live practi-
! cally unmolested, but with the clearing
! of the forests and utilization Of lakes
/ and streams, encroachnlent of civiliza-
/ ton became too much for this prince Of
| North American wild fowl. 1t needed.
| and. fortunately, received, the protective
care of thoughtful men.
In shape the trumpeter swan Is not
so different from any other species OF
the bird. 1t has an all-black bill and
black feet, although the young often
have yellow on the feet. The head is
ash or rusty, but the body is pure white.
The bird tips the scales at 30 or more
pounds. and too many of them. unfort-
unstely. have tipped market scales. &C
counting to a great extent for their rapid
decline. The meat is said to be delec-
table. and in the days of their abun-
dance hunters were well rewarded for
their shooting.
In size and splendor the whistling
swan is so near that of the larger bird
that the difference scarcely can be noted.
But the trumpeter swan has a wind
pipe with one more convolution. which
enables it to produce louder, more far
reaching note on a lower key. with the
musical resonance of French horn. or
the whistle on streamlined train. From
this trumpetlike or clear whistle noise
which the bird makes its name is derived.
Nests are made on the ground. usually
about 20 feet from the waters edge. and
are about 6 feet across and feet high,
in which a small number of eggs are
laid, usually five to seven. Again this
accounts for the birds inability to propa-
gate in large numbers.
Those who have had the privilege of
seeing a mother trumpeter swan and
her ducklings swimming relate that 1t Is
one of the most interesting performances.
Although the young can swim, like other
swans, from the very first time they try
the water, the mother leads them farther
and farther from shore each time she
takes them out for pleasure and exercise.
The young always swim behind, never
ahead, of the older birds.
The neck of the trumpeter swan
moves with grace and ease and the
voice is so unusual to the bird family
that efforts recently have been made to
make movies of the swimming of these
birds and to record the sound of their
voices The latter achievement was
accomplished at Red Rock Lakes, but
only after great difficulty The feat
was performed after building blind for
the recording camera and its operator.
then batting the ground in front of it
for several days. At what appeared to
be the best time, the grown birds were
chattering to their young over feast
they had found and the recording was
made. In difference to the birds pref
erence for privacy, the cameraman did