Tundra swan

Two tundra swans on wind-ruffled water, one stretching its neck and wings high while the other swims alongside, with reeds in the foreground

The tundra swan is a large, all-white swan with a black bill and, on many adults, a small yellow spot near the eye. It is a little smaller than a trumpeter swan, and it is built for long journeys, travelling thousands of kilometres between Arctic nesting grounds and coastal wintering waters.

Tundra swans nest on the northern tundra, including the Hudson Bay coast of Manitoba, and pass through the rest of the province in spring and again in fall, often into late October or November. They travel in family groups and gather on open water and shallow shorelines to rest and feed, and their call is a soft, high, musical whooping.

I like how one swan stretches its wings and steps forward while the other waits quietly beside it, both of them pale against the dark, choppy water.

To find out more about the tundra swan and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Two tundra swans on wind-ruffled water, one stretching its neck and wings high while the other swims alongside, with reeds in the foreground
  • Two tundra swans among wet reeds, one standing on a rock with a yellow spot by its eye while the other swims toward it
  • Two tundra swans on a gravel bar at the water's edge, one stretching its wings as it steps forward

Tundra swan Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the tundra swan in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the tundra swan nests and migrates, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the tundra swan in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, and the Southern Arctic (gold) and passing through the Boreal Shield, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies in spring and fall (lilac). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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