Tundra Swan

1/640s at f8.0 ISO:800, EOS-1D Mark IV, EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM x1.4 converterx


The Tundra Swan breeds in the Arctic and sub arctic tundra, where they inhabit shallow pools, lakes and river. These birds are migratory birds. The winter habitat is grassland and marshland, often near the coast; they like to visit fields after harvest to feed on discarded grains and while on migration may stop over on mountain lakes. According to National Geographic, when migrating, these birds can fly at altitudes of 8 km (nearly 27,000 ft). They start to arrive on the breeding grounds around mid-May, and leave for winter quarters around the end of September. In summer, their diet consists mainly of aquatic vegetation like manna grass pondweeds and marine eelgrass, acquired by sticking the head underwater or upending while swimming; they also eat some grass growing on dry land. At other times of year, leftover grains and other crops such as potatoes, picked up in open fields after harvest, make up much of their diet. Tundra Swans forage mainly by day. In the breeding season, they tend to be territorial and are aggressive to many animals that pass by. Outside the breeding season they are rather gregarious birds. The Tundra Swans mate in the late spring, usually after they have returned to the nesting grounds. The pen (female) lays and incubates a clutch of 2 to 7 (usually 3 to 5) eggs. Tundra Swans do not reach sexual maturity until 3 or 4 years of age.
Cambridge Bay, Canada
 
06/29/2011