Do Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swans mingle?

Nature Talk
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Hi all,

I was trying to ID some swan observations today and I was wondering whether Trumpeter and Tundra Swans are commonly found together. In the observations I saw, two swans were standing near each other, and one had the yellow lore that a Tundra often has but the other did not. I saw another observation from the same place of a Trumpeter Swan. It’s possible that I misidentified the first swan, or that the Trumpeter Swan is in fact a Tundra Swan. But it would be easier to tell knowing that they didn’t flock together.

The Trumpeter vs. Tundra Swan identification is one of several such pairs in North America (Downy vs. Hairy Woodpecker, Cooper’s vs. Sharp-shinned Hawk) that often perplexes birdwatchers and naturalists alike. Most of those species, however, rarely flock and loaf together like swans do (though I have seen , so I was wondering if anyone knew if the Trumpeter and Tundra Swans like to be so close to each other, or if they prefer to stay apart.

I have seen Canada and Cackling Geese together in the past. I’ve also heard that there are very rare hybrids between Trumpeter and Tundra Swans.

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Trumpeter and Tundra Swans can be seen together in areas where their ranges overlap. If it has a yellow lore, then it is definitely a Tundra Swan. The yellow is sometimes absent on Tundra Swans, so for birds with all black bills, you need to look at the shape of the bill where it meets the eye (broad and V-shaped for Trumpeter; curved for Tundra).

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