Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form
Species: Whooper Swan, one adult
Reporter: Cliff Weisse, 4125 Beaver Springs Rd., Island Park, ID 83429, 208-558-7789, cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com\
Other Observers: Steve Butterworth (tntbutters@cableone.net), Harry Krueger (jhkrueger@gmail.com), RL Rowland (ROWLANDRL@aol.com), Zeke Watkins (scottywarbler@yahoo.com)
Date of Observation: 11/28/2008; this individual wintered in the Hagerman area and was seen by numerous observers. To the best of my knowledge it was last seen on 3/12/09. At least two groups of birders looked for the bird after this date and did not find it or any other swans so it appears the bird left with the rest of the wintering swans.
Date Report Prepared: 11/29/2008, final comments in the origin and date of occurrence sections of this report were added on 4/6/09.
Locality of Observation: Hagerman, Idaho; viewed from US 30 causeway on "West Pond" near the state fish hatchery
Habitat: Pond surrounded by cattail marsh
Conditions: Sunny and windy enough that it was hard to keep the scope from wiggling. Sun was to the side of the bird at distances ranging from about 75-125 yards with Nikon Premier LX 10x42 binocs and Swarovski 80mm spotting scope @20-60x. We observed and photographed the bird almost constantly for a period of about one hour.
Did you take notes…
during the observation? Yes
Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?
Later the same day and on other days.
What guide or reference did you consult?
Photos of Whooper Swans from Killian Mullarney and personal notes I wrote when reviewing a previous report of Whooper Swan.
Description: Large white swan with typically long neck. This individual was slightly smaller than Trumpeter Swan in direct comparison and significantly larger than a juvenile Tundra Swan observed in close proximity to subject bird (<5 feet between birds for about 30 seconds while Tundra Swan swam behind the subject for some distance across the pond; this was the only time these two individuals were observed in close proximity and the Whooper did not seem to acknowledge the Tundra Swan).
-neck appeared slightly shorter than Trumpeter Swan in direct comparison and was much thicker at the base, tapering evenly to approximately the same diameter where it meets the head.
-legs were black
-Bill was about the same size and shape as nearby Trumpeters (with flat culmen) and bill was obviously larger than the juvenile Tundra Swan’s bill. It was black with extensive yellow base including on the base of the culmen. The yellow extended forward approximately half way down the bill with the forward most projection extending below the nostril and ending at approximately the distal end of the nostril. Under side of bill was black with narrow yellow round-tipped triangle or wedge extending from base to about half way down the bill. I did not notice, or look for, any contrasting color along the cutting edge of the bill. Bare skin of bill did not appear to extend to the eye (except maybe a very narrow strip), and the eye was distinctly separate from the bill as typically shown by Tundra Swan. See photos for details of pattern.
-Face and head appeared to be stained slightly with orangish. Photos confirm that the crown and area below the auriculars are washed with dull orange.
Behavior: No interactions with other species were noted and no vocalizations were heard. It was loosely associating with five Trumpeter Swans (two adults and three juveniles) and a juvenile Tundra Swan was also nearby. I did not see the birds fly off so I don’t know if they stayed together but it was with five Trumpeters when it was discovered on November 27.
How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? The bird had previously been reported as a Whooper and had been found and identified earlier by other birders. When I got my first look the yellow on the bill was impossible to miss. The first thing I noticed after the bill was the massive base of the neck that tapered evenly to the head, a field mark I had noticed previously in photos of Whooper Swans from Europe but I had forgotten about until I saw this bird. That was what first convinced me that this was indeed a Whooper and not a Bewick’s Tundra Swan with more extensive yellow on the bill than typical. Overall size, extent and shape of yellow patch on bill, bill size and shape, and body shape further supported the identification.
How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? The only species that this bird could be confused with are other swans. The extensive yellow on the bill rules out Trumpeter (no yellow on bill) and Mute Swan (shows extensive orange on bill but the base is black and it also shows a large knob on the culmen near the eyes. Bewick’s race of Tundra Swan can also have extensive yellow on the bill but the yellow does not extend as far distally as on this individual, the neck is significantly thinner, the bill is smaller with a concave culmen, and the overall size is also smaller than the subject of this report. The combination of structural marks (size, bill size and shape,and very thick neck) and the pattern and extent of the yellow on the bill rule out Tundra Swan.
Origin? Origin of any free ranging bird is obviously difficult to establish with any degree of certainty. However there is strong evidence to support wild origin of this individual. The legs were clearly seen by Jay Carlisle (an experienced bird bander) and Steve Bouffard and no bands were observed. In an email from Jay on 12/1/08 he states "Yes, I briefly saw both legs down to the feet as it was tipping over a couple times .... and including me on your report sounds good." The plumage did not show any signs of having been in captivity. The bird did not approach closely and acted very much like the other swans it was associating with.
There have been no other reports of Whooper Swan from the area with the exception of a juvenile reported as a Whooper in Dec. 2005. The identification of that individual remains contentious but it is clearly a different individual regardless of its identity. That individual had a very thin neck, smaller bill with less extensive yellow, and was considerably smaller (consistent with the size expected for Tundra Swan). See photos for comparison.
There is also an established pattern of occurrence in the Pacific Northwest.
Oregon has accepted three records. Dates for these records are 10-21 November 1994 at Summer Lake WMA; 27 November - 1 December 1997 at Airlie, Polk County; and 24 January 1998 at Lower Klamath NWR. There is also a record of a single bird at Lower Klamath NWR 7 December 1991 – 22 February 1992 that was accepted as properly identified but there was not sufficient documentation to prove that the bird was in Oregon.
California
The following comments were sent to Harry Krueger from Guy McCaskie on December 8, 2008 in response to Harry's inquiry into records for Whooper Swan in CA:
"The first two or three Whooper Swans in California were "Not accepted, natural occurrence questionable (identification established)". However, as records from mainland Alaska south through Oregon increased, the CBRC reconsidered these earlier records and concluded a small number of Whooper Swans were migrating south along the Pacific Coast on North America to winter with Tundra Swans in Washington Oregon and California. As of this time, the CBRC has endorsed the occurrence of ten (10) Whooper Swans in California, some having returned in consecutive winters. Dates of occurrence range from 24 Nov to 10 Mar. The two (2) rejected reports include one suspected being a Whooper x Tundra Swan hybrid, and the other lacked adequate documentation."
Significantly, no records have been rejected in either Oregon or California because of questions about origin. The timing of the occurrence of the Hagerman bird fits into the known pattern of occurrence in the western US. It was still present at Hagerman on January 3, 2009.
In summary this individual was first seen during the established time frame for arrivals on the west coast and wintered in the area where it was first discovered. Previously an adult Whooper wintered with Trumpeter Swans at Yellowstone National Park so this is not unprecedented in the region. It then migrated with the rest of the swans at the appropriate time in spring. It was not observed acting tame or conditioned to humans, rather it acted appropriately for a wild bird and essentially the same as the Trumpeter Swans in the area. I see no reason to suspect captive origin for this individual.
Experience with this species: No previous field experience with Whooper Swan. I see hundreds to thousands of swans annually in Idaho, mostly Trumpeters but a lot of Tundras in migration and occasionally winter. I have spent considerable time studying Trumpeters and somewhat less time with Tundras.
General experience birding: 14 years
Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? Photos (see below)
The photo below was taken by Jay Carlisle and shows part of
the legs.
For comparison purposes this is a photo of the 2005 individual reoprted as a Whooper. It was rejected by IBRC for origin and several members voiced concerns oabout identification. I personally feel it is a Bewick's Tundra Swan with maximum yellow on bill.The neck is way to think for a Whooper but it's clearly a different swan than the current bird whatever it's identity. When it waas present in 2005 there were two Whoopers in Washington and there was a Bewick's Tundra swan juvenile at Hagerman as well. As far as I know neither this individual or the other Bewick's Swan were not seen after Dec. 24, 2005.
Photo by kathleen Cameron