Trumpeters Marked

Wildlife biologists have marked and moved 62 trumpeter swans so far this year to help Idaho populations recover. For the third year in a row, multiple state, federal, and tribal agencies are working together to help promote the continued success of the ongoing trumpeter swan recovery efforts. This year, citizens are being asked to help out by reporting trumpeter swans that have been marked and then released. The project has lost two trumpeters this year-one in a poaching case in Idaho. The other trumpeter had flown to Utah where hunting of the smaller tundra swan is allowed and trumpeters are occasionally shot by mistake. Two Idahoans in the Preston area have been cited for illegally shooting the trumpeter and using lead shot to do it. No swan hunting is legal in Idaho and lead shot has been banned from all waterfowl hunting since 1990. The swan was shot while a student biologist had the bird under observation through a spotting scope, making the investigation easier than it usually is in cases of swan shooting. Idaho waterfowl hunters are regularly reminded that swans have entirely white wings, unlike the much smaller snow geese that have black wing tips. Birds caught and marked wear colored neck collars and a wing is dyed pink to help set them apart. The project is formally titled "Winter Translocations of Trumpeter Swans in Southeast Idaho," and has been designed to test the effectiveness of trapping and relocation of immature trumpeter swans, called cygnets. Using the airboat with on-board generator powering bright lights, biologists can surprise the swans at night, swoop them on board with big nets, and process them for later release. Wildlife Biologist Lauri Hanauska-Brown of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is spearheading the project. Along with IDFG, other state and federal agencies include: Idaho Parks & Recreation (IDPR), the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe. The study was undertaken because, while the trumpeter swan populations nationwide have made tremendous comebacks, the intermountain population has focused on the Henrys Fork River in and around Harriman State Park for its primary wintering grounds. Depending on conditions and the number of birds, if left unchecked, a harsh winter could result in a potentially serious situation for either the birds or the aquatic habitat of the world-famous trout fishery on the Henrys Fork. In order to alleviate the potentially detrimental buildup of swans, the project is evaluating the success of trapping cygnets and then relocating them further south to the Bear River. It is hoped that the young birds will disperse to new wintering areas when they hook up with swans that already have knowledge of other areas. Last year a total of 78 birds were trapped. This year 100 trumpeter swans are being trapped and fitted with numbered colored collars. Half of the collars contain hi-tech radio transmitters. All of the birds being moved are having their right wing painted bright pink. Trapping is only the first phase of the project. The public is being asked to help with the second phase of the project that involves monitoring the movements of the birds. "While temporary wildlife technicians have been hired to track birds, assistance from the public in reporting swan sightings is very important!" Hanauska-Brown said. Anyone who spots a swan with a green or yellow collar should call IDFG at 208-525-7290 and report the bird's location as soon as possible. In addition, the color and number of the collar are important information, along with whether or not the wing was painted pink. Information from the public, along with radio telemetry tracking by the technicians will help the project evaluate the success of moving the young birds. According to Hanauska-Brown, "Swans marked last year were observed as far away as Arizona and California."