Swan Research
Science Center Objects
USGS research on swans in Alaska has focused on pathogens, contaminants, and demographic rates in each of the different breeding areas of Alaska. The vastly different migration patterns of swans in Alaska means that there are multiple factors on the wintering grounds and during migration that may influence population size and trends.
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Tundra Swan
Tundra swans, once known as whistling swans, are a common breeding bird along coastal portions of Alaska, but there are distinctly different migratory patterns for birds across Alaska. Birds that breed on the North Slope of Alaska, winter on the east coast of North America, whereas those nesting in western Alaska winter along the west coast. Additionally, birds breeding along the Alaska Peninsula are largely non-migratory.
Watch satellite tracking of the migratory pathways of marked birds from these populations below using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
More information with tracking maps and data for each Tundra Swan can be found here