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Cygnus buccinator
Trumpeter swans are the heaviest waterfowl in North America. These big birds may weigh as much as 32 lbs. and have powerful wings that span about 6 feet. They are white with black bills and feet. Young of the year are darker with some mottling among the white feathers. Some birds will have a darker neck and head stained in the color of the mud in which they feed.
Wetlands, rivers and lakes. They will feed in upland fields as well.
In the late 1970s, I traveled from Wisconsin, where I was living, all the way to Montana's Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge to photograph these birds. Today, however, Minnesota is one of the best places in the world to photograph these once rare birds. These photos were taken only a few miles from where I live in the center of a major metropolitan area. It's a testament to the recovery of a species....
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