On Monday, September 9, staff from Yellowstone, the Wyoming Wetlands Society, and Yellowstone Forever released eight young trumpeter swans (cygnets) at Alum Creek in Hayden Valley.
This release is part of an ongoing restoration project to increase territorial pairs of swans which have undergone a decades-long decline in the park. From a high of nearly 70 birds and 17 territorial pairs in the early 1960s, to only four birds in 2009 and 2010, the swan population has declined for a variety of reasons. Researchers are collecting population data such as nest success, number of territorial pairs, and the number of cygnets produced each year. This data tracks key population drivers and may help determine the reasons for the decline.
Recent releases and other restoration efforts have bolstered the population to over 26 birds and five or more territorial pairs as of 2023, including natural reproduction at multiple sites. This September, the park population total will be assessed by park staff during the annual swan count across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The effort is a public/private partnership between the National Park Service, Wyoming Wetlands Society, Ricketts Conservation Foundation, Greater Yellowstone Trumpeter Swan Working Group, and Montana State University.
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- Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com
- Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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