Trumpeter swans signal spring in Whistler

With crocuses bursting from the ground and public school kids across B.C. headed for March break, signs of spring are emerging in the Sea to Sky.

One local marker of the season is the arrival of trumpeter swans in Whistler. The majestic, snowy-white waterfowl delight residents each year, with Whistler lying along their migratory path. Pique spoke with local birder Karl Ricker from the Whistler Naturalists to find out where he has seen the birds this year—and why.

Ricker recently spotted a large flock of trumpeter swans at the north end of Pemberton Meadows, in a farmer’s field near the turnoff to the Hurley. He estimates there were between 200 and 300 of the black-billed beauties.

Another naturalist, Mary MacDonald, saw a lone swan on Green Lake Feb. 27. But what explains the difference in total trumpeter swan sightings between Pemberton Meadows and Whistler?

The answer, according to Ricker, is ice.

“Trumpeter swans are on a migration and need open-water lakes,” he said. “Swans are coming back now and will peak when the lakes lose half of their ice. Most are still totally covered.”

Ricker said Whistler sightings are low so far this year due to later-than-normal ice coverage. The lakes also started to freeze later than usual this winter, as previously reported by Pique.

The waterfowl are drawn to flooded farmers’ fields because of the leftover crops, with roots, shoots, and stems providing ample fodder.

“They do the same in the Fraser Valley when migrating south near Abbotsford,” Ricker said.

The trumpeters winter in the Fraser Delta and Skagit River Delta in Washington state, according to Ricker.

In ideal years, Ricker said the Naturalists count between 300 and 500 trumpeters in Whistler—a tradition that has been ongoing as long as he has been in town (which, for new readers, is a long time).

According to a 2024 report by Nature Counts, a research partnership between Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, swan populations have rebounded by 573 per cent since the 1970s.

“This steady climb represents a recovery after declines in the early and mid-1900s. Recently, though, the upward trend has levelled off,” the report said.

Trumpeter swans are identified by their black bills, legs, and feet, for both males and females, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Ducks Unlimited's page on trumpeter swan facts offers ample details for those looking to learn more about the birds. The web-footed waterfowl are the largest native waterfowl in North America. Their scientific name is Cygnus buccinator. The omnivores have an average lifespan of 12 years, grow between 1.4 and 1.6 metres long, and weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds.

These birds tend to mate for life, creating nests and laying eggs every other day until they have what’s called a “full clutch” of five to six eggs. Their young need only a day in the nest before they are able to stay warm on their own and remain with the adults for a year.

The call of trumpeters is—unsurprisingly—trumpet-like, which distinguishes them from tundra swans, whose song is “softer and more melodious,” according to the website.

When asked what he enjoys about watching trumpeter swans, Ricker had this to say:

“I like their noise when they are around. They’re graceful, beautiful birds. They add an element of spring spark to life.”