{"id":20929,"date":"2015-03-12T06:11:43","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T12:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20929"},"modified":"2025-05-18T10:47:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T15:47:44","slug":"collared-tundra-swans-banded-together-and-staying-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/12\/collared-tundra-swans-banded-together-and-staying-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Collared Tundra Swans – Banded Together and Staying Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PairPair of collared Tundra Swans<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week I posted some Tundra Swan<\/span><\/a> images and mentioned that two of the swans I spotted had markers on their necks, these are those swans flying together over the marsh. Their markers are U974<\/span><\/a> and U961<\/span><\/a> and I reported that information to the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bird Banding Laboratory and two days ago I received information about these two Tundra Swans.<\/p>\n

They were both banded and had neck collars placed on them on July 28, 2010 at the Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska as adult birds. Right now they are at least 7 years old.<\/p>\n

What I find intriguing (and touching) is that these two pens (females) were banded on the same day and the same location and when I refound them they were in flight together in the same location at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Tundra<\/p>\n

This is a screen shot composite of both Certificate of Appreciation for reporting the banded swans. I’m not sure why the certificates say “Whistling Swans” instead of Tundra Swans but Whistling is the old name for this swan species.<\/p>\n

I guess these two Tundra Swans have heard that “birds of a feather flock together”. Nearly 5<\/strong> years later!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Tundra Swan photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week I posted some Tundra Swan images and mentioned that two of the swans I saw had markers on their necks, these are those swans flying together over the marsh. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144697,"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":[124,27,1148,158,26],"tags":[4004,2250,13723,3445,4431,4070,4052,4122,4094,3444,4628,3122,2117,13721,2063,4095,6015,373],"class_list":["post-20929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-tundra-swans","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-banded","tag-certificate-of-appreciation","tag-collared","tag-cygnus-columbianus","tag-female","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-marsh","tag-pens","tag-swan","tag-swans","tag-tundra-swan","tag-usgs","tag-waterfowl","tag-wetlands","tag-whistling-swan","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swans-banded-mia-mcpherson-8351.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5rz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":111985,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/03\/learning-more-about-collared-tundra-swans\/","url_meta":{"origin":20929,"position":0},"title":"Learning More About Collared Tundra Swans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As the Tundra Swans in Utah begin to make their long journeys to their breeding grounds, I wanted to do one more post about the collared Tundra Swans I've found.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tundra Swan with U915 collar, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-collared-u915-take-off-inset-mia-mcpherson-0848.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-collared-u915-take-off-inset-mia-mcpherson-0848.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-collared-u915-take-off-inset-mia-mcpherson-0848.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-collared-u915-take-off-inset-mia-mcpherson-0848.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110737,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/05\/tracking-tundra-swan-u915-a-story-of-survival\/","url_meta":{"origin":20929,"position":1},"title":"Tracking Tundra Swan U915: A Story of Survival","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago I found a collared Tundra Swan in a flock of swans at Bear River MBR. The blue collar caught my eye and I took photos of the swan.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tundra Swan with U915 collar on the marsh of Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-adult-banded-u915-blue-collar-white-text-mia-mcpherson-0840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-adult-banded-u915-blue-collar-white-text-mia-mcpherson-0840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-adult-banded-u915-blue-collar-white-text-mia-mcpherson-0840.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/tundra-swan-adult-banded-u915-blue-collar-white-text-mia-mcpherson-0840.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20879,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/06\/the-tundra-swans-of-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":20929,"position":2},"title":"Tundra Swans of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent part of my morning yesterday being serenaded by the calls of thousands of Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lone Tundra Swan and the snowy Promontory Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-flight-mia-mcpherson-8218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-flight-mia-mcpherson-8218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-flight-mia-mcpherson-8218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-flight-mia-mcpherson-8218.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":123293,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/03\/09\/today-is-utahs-swan-day-for-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":20929,"position":3},"title":"Today Is Utah’s Swan Day For 2024","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is March 9th, and it is Utah's Swan Day 2024! The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour loop is a terrific place to see these lovely white swans.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Tundra Swan portrait, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-solitary-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-4967.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-solitary-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-4967.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-solitary-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-4967.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-solitary-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-4967.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61881,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/04\/visions-of-tundra-swans\/","url_meta":{"origin":20929,"position":4},"title":"Visions Of Tundra Swans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I need to get to Bear River MBR soon because I have visions of Tundra Swans drifting through my mind and I'd love to see them in person on the marshes of the refuge again.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult and immature Tundra Swans in flight with a cloudy sky behind them, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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McPherson","date":"March 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I took this Tundra Swan photo on my most recent trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I came upon hundreds of these swans on the marsh.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tundra Swan flight in early morning light, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tundra-swan-flight-pastel-mia-mcpherson-6826.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tundra-swan-flight-pastel-mia-mcpherson-6826.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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