Trumpeters wintering in area

Rare sight in Arkansas

Trumpeter swans fed in the shallows of Siloam Springs City Lake on Saturday. The birds are rare in Arkansas and protected by federal and state wildlife laws. At one time, they were almost extinct in the United States and have been gradually reintroduced to their native habitat.

Trumpeter swans fed in the shallows of Siloam Springs City Lake on Saturday. The birds are rare in Arkansas and protected by federal and state wildlife laws. At one time, they were almost extinct in the United States and have been gradually reintroduced to their native habitat.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

— A rare sight was available to those who braved the cold and snow in the Gentry and Siloam Springs area last week - trumpeter swans.

Five of the large and graceful birds have been in the area, spotted first at SWEPCO Lake in the Eagle Watch Nature Area and then again on Saturday at the Siloam Springs City Lake

According to the Trumpeter Swan Society Web site, “The Trumpeter Swan is North America's largest waterfowl and one of its rarest native birds. To many people, it is the embodiment of grace, beauty, and unspoiled wildness. It is also an inspiring reminder that we can save some species that have been reduced to near extinction.”

One of the five birds was wearing a neck collar, identifying it as a female hatched in Iowa and released lastFebruary at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Arkansas.

The release of birds hatched in captivity is partof an ongoing attempt to reintroduce the native birds to their natural migratory habitat.

The sighting at Siloam Springs City Lake was the first reported sighting of the swan since her release into the wild a year ago, according to Karen Rowe, non-game migratory bird program leader with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The birds travel in family groups, Rowe said, making it likely that the banded and collared bird attached itself to a family of trumpeter swans with two juvenile swans of their own.

According to a AGFC release, the “huge, snowy white and graceful trumpeter swans were common migrants in Arkansas 100 years ago. Today they’re extremely rare winter visitors. An alliance of public and private groups hopes an experiment will help bring them back.

“Trumpeter swans were released at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge along the Arkansas River, a few miles downstream from Dardanelle and in the Boxley Valley area of the Buffalo River in north-central Arkansas. The hope is these young swans will return to both areas in winter and, within a few years, bring their families.

“Biologists from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission were on hand when the big birds from Iowa were released. Trumpeters may weigh up to 35 pounds and have 8-foot wingspans.

“The process behind the release is called ‘reverse migration imprinting.’ The idea is to bring south young birds that never have migrated and let them use their instincts to return to Iowa.

“‘These young-of-theyear birds [were] brought south and we’ll see if they can get back,’ said Karen Rowe, AGFC non-gamemigratory bird program coordinator. ‘We need a place that’s not hunted, yet waterfowl-friendly.’”

The AGFC is seeking reports of swan sightings to help determine where the birds are migrating.

In another AGFC release published on freshair.net, more details about trumpeter swans and the release program were provided:

“By 1900 trumpeter swans were extirpated from their nesting and wintering areas in central and eastern North America. Their historic migrations to southerly wintering sites were eliminated because swan populations were gone. In recent decades wild nesting populations of trumpeters have been successfully restored in several northerly states and Ontario.

“Young swans learn migration routes from elder family members. When swans were restocked in northern states, there were no elder swans that ‘knew’ the migration routes south to the wintering grounds.Most swans now winter near their northern breeding areas, but an unknown number are pioneering southward where they are beginning to establish use of more southerly wintering sites.

“It is important to document the number of and location of trumpeter swan wintering sites in order to develop range wide management guidelines for the species and safeguard large flocks from disease outbreaks. Little is known regarding the numbers and groupings of southward migrants, the location and characteristics of the sites they are pioneering, the duration of use or problems they maybe encounter.

“The Iowa swans released in Arkansas each have bright green neck collars with white lettering. This alpha numeric code on the bands identifies each bird, and that code is needed in reports of their sightings, Rowe said.

“‘We need reports of both the collared swans as well as uncollared swans in Arkansas,’ she said. ‘Documenting the presence of unmarked trumpeters in the state and the areas they are using will show us that northern trumpeters are slowly and successfully developing migration routes on their own. Reports of these unmarked trumpeter swans will give biologists insight into the habitats preferred by wintering trumpeter swans in Arkansas,’ she added.

“The AGFC is collecting data on trumpeter swan locations in the state in conjunction with the Mississippi Flyway Council Technical Section’s Swan Committee and the Trumpeter Swan Society.

“Rowe urged anyone seeing some of the young trumpeters to report it on the AGFC’s Web site at: http:// www.agfc.com/wildlifeconservation/birds/trumpeter_survey.aspx. Collar markings are desired if these can be obtained with the use of binoculars or spotting scopes. Also needed are date, time, exact location and any other details observed. Citizens who observe the swans and do not have access to the Internet can call Rowe’s office and leave a message at (877) 873-4651 detailing their sightings.”

Trumpeter swans are protected by both state and federal laws, with stiff penalties for violators. Observation of the birds is encouraged, but care should be taken not to disturb or harm the protected swans.

News, Pages 8 on 02/09/2011