Trumpeter Swan – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Photo Credit: Tom Koerner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Overview

Species Common Name Trumpeter Swan
Species Scientific Name Cygnus buccinator
State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Northern Basin and Range

The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.

Special needs

Trumpeter Swans are closely associated with wetlands. Breeding pairs, wintering birds, and migrants need high-quality marshes, ponds, or other water bodies with submerged aquatic plants for foraging and emergent vegetation for nesting. They require sites with minimal human disturbance.

Limiting factors

Trumpeter Swans breed in small numbers in eastern Oregon and have low recruitment. Habitat is degraded in most of the Harney Basin due to a common carp infestation. Poor habitat conditions during drought years can also impact this species.

Data gaps

Improve understanding of movement patterns/travel corridors as related to powerline locations in need of marking/modification. Identify important breeding habitat within each ecoregion. Determine the origin (breeding locations) of wintering birds.

Conservation actions

Improve and protect emergent wetlands through enhanced water distribution and management capability. Mark/modify known powerline collision hazards. Continue translocation efforts to enhance/expand the Oregon breeding population.