Whooper Swan

The Whooper Swan is a large, all-white swan of northern Eurasia, distinguished by a wedge-shaped yellow-and-black bill, with the yellow extending forward from the base in a pointed patch, and a straight, somewhat angular neck usually held erect. It is the national bird of Finland and features prominently in European folklore and mythology, including the legend of the Children of Lir.

Whooper Swans are capable of remarkable long-distance flights, including some of the highest-altitude and longest overwater migratory flights recorded among swans, such as crossings of the North Sea between Iceland and Britain.

Key field marks

• Yellow bill base extending forward in a pointed wedge, with a black tip
• Straight neck, typically held erect rather than curved
• Large, all-white body
• Loud, far-carrying bugling calls

Similar species

• Bewick's Swan: smaller, with a more rounded (not pointed) area of yellow on the bill that does not extend as far forward
• Mute Swan: orange bill with a black knob, curved neck, quieter voice

The pointed, wedge-shaped yellow bill patch and loud bugling calls are the clearest way to identify a Whooper Swan.

Range and habitat

Whooper Swans breed across subarctic and northern temperate Eurasia, including Iceland, Scandinavia, and Russia, nesting on tundra lakes, bogs, and marshes.

Migration

The species migrates south in winter to ice-free wetlands, lakes, and coastal areas across Britain, continental Europe, and East Asia, with Icelandic breeders undertaking one of the longest and highest nonstop overwater migrations of any swan to reach wintering grounds in Britain and Ireland.

Behavior

Whooper Swans are social outside the breeding season, gathering in flocks on lakes and estuaries, and pairs perform coordinated calling displays with necks raised and wings partly spread.

Voice

The call is a loud, resonant, bugling or honking "whoop-whoop," from which the species gets its name, often given in flight or as a duet between mates.

Feeding

They feed by grazing on grasses and by dabbling or upending for aquatic vegetation, and readily forage on farmland for grain and root crop remnants during migration and winter.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs mate for life and build a large mound nest of vegetation near water; the female incubates the eggs while the male stands guard, and family groups typically migrate and winter together.