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 Point Pelee National Park on a given day, based on 194 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 207th most-seen of the 278 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.
January
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Tundra Swan in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to October, the lowest months.
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.
8th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Tundra Swan sightings, Point Pelee National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Katmai National Park (United States, about 10%), Biebrza National Park (Poland, under 5%) and Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, under 5%).
Same genus: Cygnus
The closest relatives of the Tundra Swan that you can see in Point Pelee National Park (genus Cygnus, True Swans) are Mute Swan (about 30%) and Trumpeter Swan (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tundra Swan is recorded against all the birds logged in Point Pelee National Park (194 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
