Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator), Phoenix Zoo, Maricopa County

This Trumpeter Swan was found and photographed by Kyle Waites on 14 January 2018

This juvenile Trumpeter Swan flew into the Childrens Zoo Lake of the Phoenix Zoo.

Though possibly increasing, Trumpeter Swan remains very rare in Arizona, with six accepted records and several more pending.

Immature swans represent one of the most challenging bird identification problems. The head is flat/angular shaped with the bill straight in a slope that resembles a Canvasback profile. Details of bill shape and pattern can be useful, but are much more variable and overlapping in young birds than in adults. Tundra Swans tend to have shorter more concave bills and more rounded heads. Tundra Swans also tend to have paler bills overall, with less black at the base. Overall color is useful, as immature Tundra Swans are paler gray and molt earlier in the winter than Trumpeter, so already have a significant amount of white feathers by January. The overall gray coloration of this bird and the mostly blackish bill support the identification of Trumpeter Swan. The legs appear to be have a yellowish tone to them as well, which further supports Trumpeter.

14 January 2018, photo by Kyle Waites