The wave of swans migrating through the Front Range provides a great opportunity to remind our local birding community here in Colorado of the enormous challenges of swan identification, especially regarding the two likely species that turn up here: Trumpeter and Tundra Swans. A good on-line resource that can be consulted is the Trumpeter Swan Society website at www.trumpeterswansociety.org.
Juveniles are especially tricky as the bill shape and eye placement criteria useful in adults becomes useless. The specific criteria for juvenile identification in these two swan species is dealt on a dedicated page of the website above. The most useful single diagnostic feature turns out to be leg color! Black is Tundra. Pale greenish is Trumpeter. Trumpeter bills turn black much earlier than Tundra bills (both are pink at birth); Tundra body plumage turns white much earlier than Trumpeter (both are gray at first). At this time of year, any significant pink on bill or white feathers is a strong indicator of Tundra. Nick Komar Fort Collins CO -- Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en
