If you look at the distribution of breeding Trumpeter Swans in the
recently completed Ontario atlas,
http://www.birdsontario.org/atlas/map.jsp
you will find that they are not confined to southern Ontario but also in
the NW part of the province. From personal experience (our lab has been
doing mercury research on the southern border of region 39 since 2000),
this area is mostly uninhabited boreal forest. The birds found in this
area certainly arrived on their own.

The example of the Peregrine Falcon is quite apt. I would wager that in
years to come that there will be little argument about the validity of
Trumpeter Swans in the Chesapeake Bay area. Let's hope anyway!

Tyler Bell

California, MD


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On
> Behalf Of Edward Boyd
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 9:21 PM
> To: 
> Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Trumpeter Swan "countability" (was:
Schoolhouse
> Pond conditions & birds)
> 
> Rule 2: The bird must have been a species currently accepted by the
ABA
> Checklist Committee for lists within its area, by the A.O.U.
Check-list
> for
> lists outside the ABA area and within the A.O. U. area, or by Clements
in
> general for all other areas.
> 
>     B. Currently accepted by the ABA Checklist Committee means:
> 
>             (iv) An indigenous species which is reintroduced into an
> historic range of the species may be counted when the population meets
the
> ABA Checklist's definition of being established or when it is not
possible
> to reasonably separate the reintroduced individuals from naturally
> occurring individuals.
> 
> What does this mean? Hell if I know. Actually, I believe that Matt was
> correct in his response. Since these birds are descendants of a
> reintroduced
> population to a historic range, I believe the guidelines in Rule 2
apply
> to
> this. I believe that every indication is that these birds are indeed
from
> Ontario and they have been accepted by the authorities there as
> established.
> If that is the case then the birds should be countable here as well.
Even
> under Rule 3, established birds of introduced populations, would make
> these
> birds provided they are recognized as such.
> 
> Ed Boyd
> Westminster, MD