Trumpeter Swan populations
Across North America wildlife managers have divided Trumpeter Swans into three main management areas: Pacific Coast Population (PCP), Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) and Interior Population. Washington State has both the PCP and RMP areas. Western Washington is the PCP and eastern Washington is the RMP. They are divided by where they breed as well as their wintering area.
The map shows these management divisions for Trumpeter Swans in North America.
The Cascade Mountain range in Washington and Oregon forms a major geographic dividing line for both wintering and breeding Trumpeters. West of the mountains is the coastal zone which is primarily temperate and much wetter than the eastside. East of the mountains has drier, hotter summers and much colder winters. Trumpeter Swans rarely intermingle on either the wintering or breeding grounds.
As you can see from the mapped areas in gray, there is some overlap between these populations around the northern British Columbia and southern Yukon Territory. A major geographic dividing line is the Yukon River near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Read more about each population:
Download the N.A. Trumpeter Swan Survey
Pacific Coast Population
Rocky Mountain Population
Pacific Coast Population
This table shows the minimum counts for Tundra and Trumpeter swans in six counties in Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada, 2020-2024.
Counties: Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Island and San Juan
STATUS – Trumpeter Swans
The most recent PCP survey on the Alaska and Canada breeding grounds found 26,790 Trumpeter Swans: 20,779 adults and 6,011 cygnets. In Canada survey were done in the western Yukon and northwestern British Columbia and totaled 1,443 Trumpeters. These were the last comprehensive Trumpeter Swan surveys done in the Pacific Flyway. Surveys are now done with partial sampling and thus not comparable to previous surveys and likely much less accurate.
Here in western Washington mid-winter annual swan surveys are conducted in January to provide a minimum count for Tundra and Trumpeter swans, map swan movements, document re-sights of collared birds, and provides an index of productivity. Minimum swan counts during the past two years have been lower than in 2016-2022 likely driven by Trumpeters, influenced by a combination of factors including poor nesting conditions, expanding distribution, crop harvest timing, rainfall patterns, warm temperatures, hard freeze during the 2024 survey period, and HPAI (avian influenza).
The largest concentrations of wintering Trumpeter Swans are found in the Skagit Valley area of Washington State and in the Comox Valley area and Delta areas of British Columbia.
The PCP increased by 5.5% per year from 1968-2005, and 1.5% per year from 2005-2015. While the population appears to be declining in the primary wintering areas of western Washington, this may reflect expanding distribution.
Here are the latest results for the annual January mid-winter swan surveys in the U.S. counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, San Juan, and Island. In Canada- Sumas Prairie, B.C.
The most recent PCP survey in 2015 on the Alaska breeding grounds found 26,730 Trumpeter Swans: 20,779 adults and 6,011 cygnets. The next comprehensive winter swan census will be in January 2021.
The 2020 mid-winter western Washington Swan Survey showed no increase in the total number of wintering Trumpeter Swans although their distribution around the state is shifting.
The total swans counted in summer 2015 was 25,347 in Alaska and 1,443 in Canada in western Yukon and northwestern British Columbia.
- The PCP increased by 5.5% per year from 1968-2005, and 1.5% per year from 2005-2015.
- The largest concentrations of wintering Trumpeter Swans are found in the Skagit Valley area of Washington State and in the Comox Valley area on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
ACTION
NWSCA is committed to addressing important issues that affect Trumpeter and Tundra swan health and well fare. We have a long history and commitment to addressing lead poisoning, both shot pellets and lead fishing sinkers. We are a long time member of an international team, Canada and Washington, working to bring an end to lead shot ingestion poisoning of swans in the Northwest.
We are partnering with electric power companies to reduce swan power line collisions. This includes both private and publicly owned power companies. Swan Safe Power Lines is a common goal we all share.
Rocky Mountain Population
The Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) refers to those swans that winter in eastern Washington, and primarily breed in central and eastern Yukon, Northwest Territory, northeastern British Columbia, Alberta and perhaps as far east as southwest Saskatchewan. The only recent nesting location in Washington is at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge south of Spokane.
Trumpeters migrate through in both fall and spring, primarily along a corridor that encompasses the area from the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains west through the Methow Valley into the Okanagon area and the wide path it creates moving south. Reports of wintering Trumpeter swans have come from the Washington/Canada border lakes/ponds to Cle Elum, Yakima and Walla Walla and points in between.
We will be adding new information on eastern Washington Trumpeter Swans as it becomes available.
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge
Trumpeter Swan history at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge: By the late 1950’s trumpeter swans were nearly extinct in the lower 48 states as a result of overhunting and loss of habitat. The largest remaining population of nesting birds occurred on Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Birds from this flock were relocated to several areas in the west that historically supported swans. Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge was one of the reintroduction sites for trumpeter swans in the 1960’s. From the original introduction of 33 cygnets that took place over 3 years (1963, 1965, and 1966), the refuge population stayed relatively stable through 1976 with spring populations between 27 and 29 birds. Nesting peaked in 1970 with 8 nests. This is the first year that all introduced birds reached breeding age. Peak recruitment occurred in 1975 with 14 cygnets fledged. It was the belief of Jim Reese, refuge biologist in the late seventies, that none of the swans hatched on the refuge returned to breed and that all breeding that occurred was accomplished by the original introduced cygnets.
In 1976, the supplemental feeding and pond aeration program that began in 1968 was discontinued. This program had effectively created a resident flock with no migration behavior. The resulting dispersal of individuals that first winter and a severe drought the following year, resulted in a precipitous decline in the refuge population indicating that wintering habitat in the area is severely limiting. Several birds, mostly juveniles, failed to return at all and were never accounted for by band returns or other observation. Major causes of mortality were shooting, power line collisions, and predation.
Observers noted that for 22 years through 2009, only one trumpeter swan reliably returned to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge each winter or spring — whenever enough open water was exposed by ice thawing at the headquarters-area ponds.
This bird became known as Solo, a lone male Trumpeter. Finally, he found love in 2009 and his legacy now lives on in at least 13 swans (as of 2013) and counting. Since then two pairs nested and in 2015 only one pair nested successfully. Sadly, Solo died in 2011, likely of lead poisoning from either a lead fishing sinker or lead shot. Solo may have opened the door for the restoration of trumpeters at Turnbull with his efforts in his two successful breeding years. His legacy appears to be continuing with the swans that reside and nest there today.
During the 2019 Christmas Bird Count 13 Trumpeters were counted in the Turnbull NWR area.
In the 2020 nesting season on the refuge, there was one successful pair that nested and hatched 2 cygnets that survived and fledged. There appeared to be two additional pairs on separate wetlands, but they did not attempt to nest. One of the non-nesting pairs was accompanied by a third individual, likely a sub-adult.
For more information on the current status of Trumpeter Swans at Turnbull NWR and more about Solo click here. If you plan to visit the area, nesting swans are likely to be found in the late spring through summer months. Broods usually hatch around mid to late June.