I'm the one who accepted this in ebird and I still think this looks like a
Trumpeter Swan. One thing I think is neat is that we have an opportunity
for a profile comparison of the swan in question directly with a Tundra
Swan in the first photo.
http://i.imgur.com/DdFW5nd.jpg
From this photo, I believe we can identify the right swan as a Trumpeter.
First, these are both adult swans, no dark gray feathers or pink bill
coloration, so they are full grown. The bird on the right is clearly
larger in overall size than the Tundra on the left. The neck is longer,
the head is bigger, and, something that I consider to be an underrated
field mark, the legs and feet are much larger. In the other two photos, I
don't see anything about the bill shape that would lead me away from
Trumpeter Swan. I think I would have to disagree that the eye is set
isolated from the bill. This photo shows what to me looks like a typical
Trumpeter face pattern. I agree we can't make out the forehead feathering
which is a good mark on adult swans.
http://i.imgur.com/5ZAp0M6.jpg (awesome "four-winged" swan photo!)
We don't see many Trumpeter Swans over this way so it's always nice to have
some discussion about them. Maybe someone will be able to get a few more
photographs of this individual.
Matt Hafner
Forest Hill, MD
On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 8:10 PM, Hugh McGuinness <hdmcguinness...>wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I am also skeptical that this is a Trumpeter Swan. One of the easiest
> marks to separate the species is the shape of the white forehead where it
> meets the bill--in Trumpeter it is V-shaped; in Tundra it is U-shaped. This
> mark cannot be seen clearly on the photos provided; however, one can see
> the relative isolation (or separation) of the eye from the bill. Comparison
> with profile flight shots of Trumpeter Swans shows that this bird's eye is
> relatively isolated and that the black face patch is not as wide as would
> be expected in Trumpeter. So I would call this a Tundra Swan--one of the
> 10% of the North American population that does not have yellow at the base
> of the bill.
>
> Hugh
>
> On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 12:00 PM, Benjamin DeHaven <
> <benjamindehaven...> wrote:
>
>> After going for the Northern Lapwing yesterday and failing to find it I
>> headed on down to Blackwater NWR. While there I found 2 Swans which I
>> assumed to be Tundra, I took a few shots and then they took off and flew
>> towards me (kind of) then disappeared. When I got home and looked at my
>> pictures I noticed one of them had an orange grin patch making it a
>> Trumpeter Swan. The 1 Tundra and the 1 Trumpeter Swan were hanging out
>> along the Wildlife Drive beside 2 American White Pelicans. I posted
>> pictorial proof in the eBird checklist, but I will link directly to the
>> imgur.com files here.
>>
>> 2/4/2013 - Blackwater NWR - Wildlife Drive - ~3:45pm
>>
>> http://i.imgur.com/DdFW5nd.jpg
>> http://i.imgur.com/5ZAp0M6.jpg
>> http://i.imgur.com/mrHxqJY.jpg
>>
>> I had no idea I had a Trumpeter until nearly 11pm last night and I was
>> nodding off at the computer as it was.
>>
>> Benjamin DeHaven
>> Timonium, Maryland
>>
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>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Hugh McGuinness
> Washington, D.C.
>
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>
>
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