Valery Sepulveda 1st Period
Bringing back the Trumpeter Swan
Featured scientist: Wilbur C. “Joe” Johnson from the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
Written by: Lisa Vormwald and Susan Magnoli
Research Background
:
The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was created in 1927 to provide safe nesting areas for
waterfowl
such as ducks, geese, and swans. During that time many waterfowl species
were in trouble due to overhunting and the loss of wetland habitats. One species whose
populations had declined a lot was the Trumpeter Swan. Trumpeter swans are the
biggest native waterfowl species in North America. At one time they were found across
North America, but by 1935 there were only 69 known individuals in the continental
U.S.! The swans were no longer found in Michigan.
The
reintroduction
, or release of a species into an area where they no longer occur, is
an important tool in helping them recover. In the 1980s, many biologists came together
to create a Trumpeter Swan reintroduction plan. Trumpeter Swans in North America can
be broken up into three populations – Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, and Interior (see
map on the following page). The Interior is further broken down into Mississippi/Atlantic
and High Plains subpopulations. Joe, the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary manager and chief
biologist, wrote and carried out a reintroduction plan for Michigan. Michigan is part of
the Mississippi/Atlantic subpopulation. Joe
and a team of biologists flew to Alaska in
1989 to collect swan eggs to be reared at
the sanctuary. After two years the swans
were released throughout Michigan.
The North American Trumpeter Swan
survey has been conducted
approximately every 5 years since
1968 as a way to estimate the number
of swans throughout their breeding
range. The survey is conducted in late
summer when young swans can’t yet
fly but are large enough to count.
Although the surveys are conducted
across North America, the data below
focuses on just the Interior Population,
which includes swans in the High
Plains and Mississippi/Atlantic
Flyways.
Joe with a Trumpeter Swan.
Name
Data Nuggets developed by Michigan State University fellows in the NSF BEACON and GK-12
programs
