Wildlife

Photos: Swans at Potter Marsh

Trumpeter and tundra swans feed at Potter Marsh in Anchorage on their migration south to wintering grounds Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Trumpeters are the largest member of the waterfowl family, with males averaging 28 pounds. Tundra swans are two-thirds the size of trumpeters.

Tundra swans build nest mounds surrounded by water, while trumpeter swans nest in undisturbed marsh areas next to small lakes.

There are two populations of tundra swans -- one winters on the U.S. East Coast and the other on the West Coast and British Columbia in Canada.

Both species of swans mate for life.

Information taken from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Alaska Wildlife Notebook Series. Dan Rosenberg and Tom Rothe wrote the entry on swans. The notebook can be found online.

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