Nature toots its horn beautifully: Trumpeter swans' triumphant return to Perry County
The trumpeter swan is tooting its own horn on its triumphant return and in Perry County this once nearly extinct bird has been giving some a rare chance at witnessing this mystical bird in all of its grandeur.
This unusually harsh winter has most of us Southern Illinoisans grumbling and bound to our abodes but some of nature's most beautiful and infrequent visitors have found it quite comfortable here in our own backyards. From eagles to snowy owls and white pelicans to trumpeter swans, this winter has provided bird watchers who are willing enough to brave the arctic blast, a chance to catch a glimpse of some exciting and unusual guests.
DNR aerial surveys this winter have revealed 472 trumpeter swans in southern Illinois. Locally, the DNR reports 250 trumpeters at Campbell Pond, 54 at Burning Star Mine, three at Rend Lake and two at Pyramid State Park. There were also 153 documented at the Union County Refuge, nine at Horseshoe Lake and one at Crab Orchard. A survey from just five years ago of the same areas revealed only 165 swans.
The trumpeter swans nest in Alaska and across Canada and migrate south to winter in our region. Typically arriving in November and staying well into February, the trumpeters, listed as the world's largest swan and North America's largest native waterfowl, spend the winter months in our locale because of normally open water and ample food sources.
Trumpeter swans were once a common sight throughout much of the northern United States but hunting and trade nearly wiped out the species. Thousands of trumpeter swan skins made their way to Europe to be used as "powder puffs" for ladies make-up applicators and the feathers were used as fashion accessories of the era. The feathers were also in demand to be used as high grade quill pens. By the early 1900s only a few nesting pairs remained.
Not only were hunters to blame for the near eradication of the bird. Other human influences also sent the population spiraling. Loss of wetlands and food sources, power line collisions, lead poisoning, and disruption in nesting activities all proved fatal for the bird. Disease and climate change have also taken a toll on swan populations. Thanks to recovery efforts such as progressive conservation practices and support from the Trumpeter Swan Society, the trumpeters are mounting a significant return.
In Tamaroa, on any given winter afternoon, a fairly large group of trumpeters can be seen feasting in the open fields just south of the village. Resident landowners report that the swans have converged on their field every year for the last several years creating some pretty spectacular views from just off of Highway 51.
As North America's largest and, at one point in history, rarest native wildfowl, the trumpeters have made an historic comeback. It is truly an honor to have these magnificent birds winter in our region. Thanks to the conservation efforts of organizations such as the Trumpeter Swan Society and private landowners participating in wetland restoration and other habitat protection, the trumpeters are trumpeting in their good fortune here in the southern Illinois winter.