{"id":15889,"date":"2014-09-21T06:15:25","date_gmt":"2014-09-21T12:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=15889"},"modified":"2024-02-19T15:16:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T22:16:36","slug":"trumpeter-swans-from-near-extinction-to-restoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/21\/trumpeter-swans-from-near-extinction-to-restoration\/","title":{"rendered":"Trumpeter Swans – From Near Extinction to Restoration"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the 1930’s Trumpeter Swans were thought to be extinct due to over-harvesting for food, the use of their skins for ladies powder puffs and their feathers that were used in millinery. These huge birds with eight foot wing spans nearly went the way of the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet and the Dodo.<\/p>\n

\"TrumpeterTrumpeter Swan on Elk Lake – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Small populations of Trumpeter Swans were found in mountain valleys in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and those birds are the reason we have Trumpeter Swans today.<\/p>\n

In 1935 Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana was established to help save and restore Trumpeter Swans and it has been a success. By the 1960’s Trumpeter Swans were relocated to Minnesota and other areas of the Midwest to help increase their chances for survival. It took a long time for Trumpeter Swan populations to rebound and today they are still increasing and the swans are expanding back into their historical ranges.<\/p>\n

There are still threats that can harm stable populations of the largest waterfowl in North America. They can be mistaken for Tundra Swans during hunting season, they can suffer poisoning from lead shot and deaths due to power line collisions.<\/p>\n

I recall the first time I saw Trumpeter Swans at Red Rock Lakes as a pair of them flew past me as I stood on the shore of the Lower Lake and listened to their resonating calls. I felt honored to be able to see these amazing swans that at one point were so very close to extinction.<\/p>\n

If not for the government, scientists, biologists, concerned citizens\u00a0and refuge managers we might not have them gracing our skies, marshes and lakes now.<\/p>\n

I can’t imagine the earth without them. I can’t imagine the Centennial Valley without their calls or their beauty and grace.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Trumpeter Swan photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

By the way, I don’t think we thank our National Wildlife Refuge Managers enough for the roles they play in the restoration of native species or for the sacrifices they make in living in remote areas like Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana\u00a0and Fish\u00a0Springs National Wildlife Refuge in western Utah. Bill West is currently the manager at Red Rock Lakes NWR and my friend Jay Banta was the manager at Fish\u00a0Springs NWR for years before he retired.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Bill West for his continuing efforts at Red Rock Lakes NWR. (Could you please get some water into the ponds by the dam at the Lower Lake? The shorebirds need it.)<\/p>\n

Thanks Jay for all that you did for Fish\u00a0Springs NWR. I know<\/em> it is a better place because of you.<\/p>\n

For more information visit The Trumpeter Swan Society<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Small populations of Trumpeter Swans were found in mountain valleys in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and those birds are the reason we have Trumpeter Swans today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":121617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,27,223,12,608,227],"tags":[4004,2673,2672,2375,5178,2674,4628,3122,2671,2675,3996,4032],"class_list":["post-15889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-trumpeter-swans","tag-adult","tag-cob","tag-cygnus-buccinator","tag-elk-lake","tag-lake","tag-mountain-lake","tag-swan","tag-swans","tag-trumpeter-swan","tag-trumpeter-swan-society","tag-water","tag-wildlife-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7638.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-48h","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19035,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/01\/27\/trumpeter-swans-of-the-centennial-valley\/","url_meta":{"origin":15889,"position":0},"title":"Trumpeter Swans of the Centennial Valley","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the locations I am daydreaming about is the Centennial Valley of Montana and the birds I find there.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trumpeter Swan keeping an eye on me - Beaverhead \u2013 Deerlodge National Forest, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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of my favorite photo sessions of that trip last fall was an evening spent with the Trumpeter Swans of southwestern Montana in gorgeous evening light.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trumpeter Swan cygnet in Montana, Beaverhead \u2013 Deerlodge National Forest, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swam-cygnet-mia-mcpherson-7400.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swam-cygnet-mia-mcpherson-7400.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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