Swan Song

There was a surprise at rehab this week: a trumpeter swan.
I’ve never seen such an elegant animal, with its snow white feathers and long graceful neck.
Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in the world with a wing span of 8 feet, and weighing up to 30 pounds. This one weighed 17 pounds. It was brought in with broken toes, but eventually it will be released.
Trumpeter swans came close to extinction in the early 20th century. In 1932, fewer than 70 were known to exist. Thanks to a reintroduction program, there are now close to 6,000. Four of them were seen on Pungo Lake in eastern North Carolina in 2004. http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/trumpeter.htmlhttp://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/trumpeter.html