Wyoming Brings 1,000 Trumpeter Swans Back from Near Extinction

Picture the largest waterfowl on Earth, pure white with a 2.4-meter wingspan, nearly vanishing forever. By the early 1900s, hunting had reduced North America's Trumpeter Swan population to fewer than 200 birds clinging to survival near Yellowstone and interior Canada.

Today, that story has been completely rewritten. Wyoming now hosts nearly 1,000 Trumpeter Swans each winter, triple the number seen before migratory birds arrive each fall.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has spent decades turning this around. Since the 1980s, teams have tracked every swan through aerial and ground surveys, protecting nesting sites and creating new habitat where these giants can thrive.

The numbers tell the comeback story. In September 2015, just over 300 swans called Wyoming home. By February, when Canadian migrants arrived, that number had surged to nearly 1,000 birds across Yellowstone National Park, the Snake River, Salt River, Green River drainages, and Wind River basin.

Since 2004, Wyoming wildlife teams and their partners have created more than 60 acres of new shallow-water wetland habitat on private lands. These custom-built swan havens have more than doubled the number of nesting pairs statewide and significantly boosted cygnet production.

Trumpeter Swans are particular about where they live. They need freshwater year-round, at least four hectares of wetland per breeding pair, open water runways for takeoff, and minimal human disturbance. Once they find the perfect spot, pairs return year after year with fierce loyalty.

The breeding season starts in late April, sometimes while ice still edges the water. Incubation takes five weeks, and cygnets need roughly 100 days before they can fly. Youngsters start life eating aquatic insects before switching to underwater plants like pondweed and waterweed.

The Ripple Effect

Wyoming's swan success is creating waves beyond state borders. The Green River basin now hosts a growing nesting population that didn't exist decades ago. New wintering areas continue opening across the Rocky Mountain region, giving these massive birds more room to spread out and thrive.

The habitat work benefits more than just swans. Every acre of restored wetland supports dozens of other species, from migratory waterfowl to fish populations. Private landowners who partner with conservation teams gain healthier ecosystems on their property.

Challenges remain. Power line collisions have killed at least 47 Wyoming swans since 1991. Climate change threatens wetland stability. Human recreation can disturb nesting pairs.

But the overall trend points skyward. Range-wide Trumpeter Swan numbers have climbed steadily since the 1970s, with the Rocky Mountain population showing notable gains. From near extinction to thriving populations, these snow-white giants now rule wetlands across Wyoming once again.