Trumpeter Swans

April 23, 2007 - Final necropsy results stating the cause of death of J.J. the Trumpeter Swan were received from the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (CCWHC) at the University of Guelph, Monday of this week.  Final diagnosis concludes that J.J.'s passing was the result of a fungal infection of the air sacs, caused by common environmental fungi called Aspergillosis.  In her initial care after wing surgery at U of G, it was suspected that J.J. may have a respiratory infection.  Although tests came back negative, she was treated with medication as prevention for the early stages of an A spergillus sp infection.

After treatment J.J. was moved to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre for recovery and rehabilitation.  Her health was monitored and after remaining healthy for 1 month, with no signs of infection, she was released into the outdoor waterfowl enclosure to allow a more natural rehabilitation of her wing.  We continued to monitor her health twice daily and according to our best observations, there were no signs leading us to believe that she was suffering from any illness or discomfort.

After her death and in conversations with Dr. Kate Welch from the CCWHC we learned that “wild birds are often really good at hiding their ailments, because if they were to appear weak they would be taken by predators”.  Aspergillosis is a particularly common cause of fungal air sac and lung infections in birds, and is usually found in birds with compromised immune systems.  Unfortunately, J.J. had suffered so many traumas in her short life that the fungi were able to spread quickly and lead to her death without so much as a cause for concern by our monitoring personnel.  Although according to the CCWHC, the swans sharing J.J.'s pond are at no added risk of contracting Aspergillosis because they are in good health and have experienced no recent traumas, Wye Marsh will continue to monitor them closely, and take the appropriate precautions.

Wye Marsh Sadly Announces the Death of J.J. The Trumpeter Swan - April 5th, 2007
It is with great sadness that we are reporting the passing of J.J. The Trumpeter Swan.  J.J. gained notoriety as the Trumpeter Swan that was rescued from Lake Simcoe in December of 2006.

She was discovered at the edge of the Outdoor Swan Treatment Pond this morning at 10:00am, April 5th , during the daily monitoring.  It is believed she passed away in the early morning hours. There were no signs of obvious trauma and during her daily monitoring, she had shown no signs of illness or stress.  Her remains will be going to University of Guelph this weekend to have a necropsy performed.  All results will be released to the media and the general public when they become available.  The Trumpeter Swan Coordinator who discovered J.J. is reported as saying, “This kind and gentle swan will be sadly missed by all that knew and loved her.”

World Of Trumpeter Swans

April and early May is an exciting time in the World of Trumpeter Swans
at Wye Marsh! As swan pairs prepare for spring there is a ton of activity,
socializing, and spring like behavior, including mating displays that can be safely
viewed from the Wye Marsh berm.
Through February and March there were consistently between 50 – 80 wild
swans frequenting the Wye Marsh Swan Pond. In the weeks to follow, these
swans will disperse throughout the area, moving in all directions to areas of
prime wetland habitat. Paired swans will defend their territories and start nest
building; these territories are normally defended year after year by the same pair.
Juvenile swans and those without mates will group together and spend the
spring and summer feeding, and for the first year juveniles, learning the basics of
survival on their own without the help of Mom and Dad, who have pushed them
away in preparation for the newest brood additions (swan babies are called
cygnets).

Be sure to visit Wye Marsh this spring to have your glimpse of our famous swan
pair, Jack and Dianne and their newest family additions. Cygnets typically hatch
between the end of May and early June.

Please feel free to contact the Swan Program Coordinator at ext. 220, with your
sightings and reports of swans in the area! All information regarding Trumpeter
Swans is welcomed and encouraged.

The magnificent Trumpeter Swans: Once an endangered species

When the Hurons inhabited the Wye Valley 350 years ago, the graceful beauty of the Trumpeter Swan was likely a common sight. However, habitat loss and over hunting completely eliminated this species from Eastern Canada.

Less than two dozen pairs remained in all of Canada, and the Trumpeter Swan became an Endangered Species. In 1988, the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre became involved in returning Trumpeters to their native habitat through participation in a national reintroduction program. This high profile program has become the signature program of the Wye Marsh.

Wye Marsh tries to keep our members and interested swan spotters up-to-date on Trumpeter Swan happenings throughout North America. As the long term environmental impacts affect all regions of the North American continent we try to monitor Trumpeter Swan news. Additional news on Trumpeter Swans in North America can be found on our Trumpeter Swan Links page. Those interested in adding comments, or observations can post information on our Wye Marsh weblog