SILVANA — Trumpeter swans — once hunted almost to extinction — have been battling back nicely as a protected species.
But shotgun pellets still kill the majestic birds through lead poisoning, even though lead shot has been banned in waterfowl areas of Washington state for 25 years.
Paul DeBruyn, a biologist for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said more than 200 swans die in Washington each year from things like lead poisoning and running into power lines.
Power companies have made a number of changes, including adding reflectors to lines to keep birds away.
Now, officials are hoping to get a better handle on the lead problem with a new hotline people can call to report dead, sick or injured swans in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties. The three county area is where trumpeters spend the winter in Washington, feeding in marshy areas and in farm fields.
The hotline number, where people can leave a recorded message, is 360-466-4345, extension 266. Callers are asked to leave a name and phone number and the location and condition of the swans. The hotline will be available until the end of March, when the swans will head north to interior Alaska to breed.
The trumpeter swans that migrate to Washington in winter number about 15,000 now, the largest single population in the United States, according to DeBruyn. The number of swans in the Pacific Flyway have pretty much reached a federal goal of about 25,000.
“It’s a huge success story,” said Curt Kraemer, a retired state biologist who remembers a time 40 years ago when his agency was excited by a count of 150 trumpeter swans.
“That’s a 100-fold increase,” he said.
Trumpeters, which can weigh up to 32 pounds, are the largest birds in North America. They stand at about four feet tall and have an 8-foot wingspan.
While no longer pursued by hunters, many birds die each year after ingesting shot while they feed, DeBruyn said. For that reason, waterfowl hunters haven’t been allowed to use lead shot for more than 25 years, but the birds still pick up lead shot while feeding in shallow areas.
DeBruyn noted that lead shot is still used for target shooting and for other types of hunting. “It’s still a big problem (for waterfowl),” he said.
Swans are particularly susceptible because their long necks make it easier for them to root around in the muck. And swans deliberately swallow the shot because they believe it to be pieces of gravel, which they put into their gizzard to help them grind up corn and other food items.
“They think they’re small rocks,” DeBruyn said.
He noted the state has been trying since 2001 to reduce the deaths by lead shot and to find any potential sources of lead and remove them.
It now has access to testing equipment that can analyze the amount of lead in a sick swan’s blood and determine whether it can be saved. Dead swans undergo tests to determine the cause.
DeBruyn said people who find dead or ill swans shouldn’t touch them, but should just call the hotline so someone can come pick them up.
Viewing swans
Trumpeter swans feed in a variety of different areas but can often be found in farm fields in Silvana south of Stanwood, around wetland areas near Snohomish, and in fields around Conway in Skagit County.
The swans are a protected species and harassing them is illegal, so make sure you don’t get too close. The best way to view or to photograph swans is to park along the roadside and to stay in or near your car.
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