Written by Gary Ivey PhD. Retired Wildlife Biologist
Image above of Migration Routes for Malheur swans as of December 2024

Here’s a December 2024 update on the seven Trumpeter Swans marked on Malheur Refuge’s Benson Pond in February 2023 with GPS-GSM neck collars to track their migration. Of these seven, four are no longer active (@13, @16, @17, @19); three of those last transmitted data in April 2024, and one in July 2023. The remaining three are still transmitting data this month.

Neck collar code @10. After spending the summer on the same wetland she summered on in 2023, this female departed for southward migration on October 19. She traveled SSE through Alberta, reaching the Montana border on November 5^th, through Glacier National Park. She spent one night on Flathead Lake, before continuing SW, passing west of the Selway Bitterroot range and continuing to Malheur Refuge. She covered approximately 480 miles in 9 hours (averaging 53 mph), before returning to the capture site, Benson Pond on November 6. She has used Benson Pond, Boca Lake and Diamond Swamp on Malheur Refuge this winter.

Neck collar code @11. This female summered on the same wetland as in 2023, near Eaglesham, Alberta. She departed that site for southward migration on October 9, moving south through Alberta, and crossing the Montana Border, just east of the Rockies on October 25. She continued flying east of the Rockies and spent a few days at a small wetland along the Missouri River, near Townsend, Montana until November 3, when she continued flying south, crossing into Idaho near Island Park. From there she turned west, generally following the Snake River plain, stopping one night at a small wetland WNW of Riddle Idaho, and then arriving at Mann Lake, east of Steens Mountain on November 4, returning to Malheur Refuge the next day. She has been using Benson Pond and Boca Lake so far this winter.

Neck collar code @20. This adult male summered on the same small wetland he used in 2023, about 30 miles east of Hotchkiss in north-central Alberta. He departed for fall migration on October 2. He traveled south, through Alberta for about a month, stopping at several wetlands, before crossing the Montana border, just east of the Rockies on November 5^th at night. He flew through the night, just east to the Rockies, generally following the Snake River Plain through Idaho to arrive at Malheur Lake mid-morning on November 6. He traveled approximately 600 miles in 12.5 hours (average 48 mph). He spent 10 days on Malheur Lake before moving south to Benson Pond on November 16. He has used Benson Pond and Boca Lake since then.

In summary for the study, all of the Malheur marked trumpeter swans returned to winter on the refuge in subsequent years. All migrated across the Intermountain West, moving through Idaho and Montana to Alberta and then on to their summer sites. All returned to the same summer sites and wintering sites, showing strong fidelity to those sites. Five of them summered in Alberta, one summered in NE British Columbia and one in SW Northwest Territories.