Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC Volunteer
The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds.
Photo credit: Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren, Creative Commons license
A century ago, “seven swans a’swimming” was almost an accurate census of Trumpeter Swans in the United States. Hunted for their feathers and skins, the species came perilously close to extinction: a 1935 survey counted only 69 trumpeter swans a-swimming in American waters. Legal protection helped the population slowly recover.
Scientists hoped that Alaska’s wilderness concealed hidden troves of swans. The first comprehensive aerial survey of Alaska’s trumpeter swans, in 1968, counted nearly 3,000 birds. Encouraged by the discovery, wildlife authorities removed Trumpeter Swans from the rare species list. Alaska’s remote sanctuaries may have helped save the swans, and the ecosystems they support.
Trumpeter Swans are more than just stately ornaments: they host a holiday buffet for their lake-dwelling neighbors. Their large feet generate currents that dislodge roots from the mud for other animals to eat. Long necks allow them to forage deeper than other water birds, dredging up insects and other tasty morsels. Dabbling ducks may follow swans around to scavenge food. An ecological version of the lyrics might reference “swans a-serving”!
Even more impressive is “swans a’soaring”. Weighing more than 25 pounds—twice the size of a Tundra swan—Trumpeters are North America’s heaviest flying bird, and the country’s largest native waterfowl. Despite a six-foot wingspan, they need a hundred yards of “runway” to get airborne.
In the sky or in the water, Trumpeter Swans announce themselves with a distinctive hornlike cry. Their scientific name, Cygnus buccinator, comes from the Latin words Cygnus (swan) and buccinare (to trumpet). The two-syllable call keeps families together, sounds alarms, or defend territories. Pairs also use a softer monosyllabic note to locate each other. Young swans have higher-pitched voices, developing their adult tone around 6-8 months old. These snowy singers are a perfect species to feature in a holiday carol!