Cygnus columbianus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) is a species of swan which breeds in the arctic, and overwinters in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the smallest of the Holarctic swans, at 115–150 cm (45–59 in) in length, 168–211 cm (66–83 in) in wingspan and 3.4–9.6 kg (7.5–21.2 lb) in weight. Typically, the plumage of adults is entirely white, with solid black feet, a black beak that has varying amounts of yellow, and a thin streak of pink along the mouthline, although colour variation is common.
In the summer, they mainly eat aquatic vegetation, while at other times of year they often eat leftover crops, such as potatoes. They have few natural predators, although sometimes Arctic foxes, parasitic jaegers, and glaucous gulls will prey upon their eggs and chicks. Their main cause of death is poaching. During the breeding season, tundra swans become aggressive, and may attack passing animals and other tundra swans; outside of the breeding season, they can form groups. They make a high-pitched honk, similar to a black goose.
Tundra swans live for an average of 10 years in the wild. They mate in spring, and are monogamous, mating for life. In May, they build a nest beside water using plant material, and lay 2–7 eggs, which incubate for about 30 days. The young fledge quickly after 60–75 days, twice as fast as the young of mute swans. They remain with their parents for their first winter migration. Sometimes, in their winter grounds, the families are joined offspring from previous breeding seasons. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sendai | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 4 | Suzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Hangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tundra Swan sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 123rd most-seen of the 190 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tundra Swan in Edmonton on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tundra Swan sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 27 cities where we can rate Tundra Swan sightings, Edmonton ranks 6th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Beijing (China, under 5%), San Diego (United States, under 5%) and Sendai (Japan, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tundra Swan is recorded against all the birds logged in Edmonton (88 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
