Home >  Hunting >  Waterfowl ID :  Tundra Swan  Tundra Swan
Latin: Cygnus columbianus Average length: M 52.0", F 51.5
Average weight: M 16.0 lbs., F 13.9 lbs.  Description: The
plumage of adult tundra swans is completely white, though their
heads and necks are often stained a rusty color from ferrous
minerals encountered in marsh soils during feeding. The bill is
black and often has a yellow spot at the base. The legs and feet
are black and the iris is dark brown. Both sexes are identical
in appearance, but males typically are larger. The tundra swan
is smaller than the trumpeter swan, but it is difficult to
separate them in the field. The tundra swan's call is high-
pitched and reminiscent of snow geese, while the trumpeter
swan's call is more vociferous and has been likened to the sound
of a French horn.  Breeding: The tundra swan's breeding range
spans most of the Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra from Bristol Bay,
Alaska, north along the Bering Sea coast, the Arctic Ocean east
to Baffin Island, and south to th