Fancy feathered hats, quill pens, powder puffs and rich dinners nearly led to the extinction of the Trumpeter swan by the early 1900s. Demand for these products caused the Trumpeter swan to be over hunted. The draining of marshes for agriculture took away many areas where swans fed and nested. Fortunately, in the 1930s, swans became protected and conservation programs have helped their numbers to rise again.
The snow white feathers of the Trumpeter swan are beautiful, and their long necks make them look quite graceful. The Trumpeter swan has made many adaptations to its watery habitat. A Trumpeter swan can have up to 25,000 feathers, including a two-inch thick downy layer that keeps them warm in chilly temperatures. Their long necks allow them to forage in water up to four feet deep, pulling up the water plants that make up most of their diet. Their sharp beak and webbed feet are strong enough to dig up roots and shoots in shallow water. The swans also have wide wings that help lift themselves for flying.
Trumpeter swans mate for life. The male and female build a nest together, either placing it on top of a muskrat or beaver lodge or creating a large pile of water plants. The nest can be more than six feet wide and is usually surrounded by a moat of water as protection from predators. The pen, or female, lays an average of four to nine eggs that are up to five inches long and three inches wide. It takes 33 to 34 days for eggs to hatch. The young can swim immediately after they hatch, but usually hang out in the nest for at least a day before getting in the water. Their father is very protective, using his huge wings to drive away predators like snapping turtles, great horned owls, minks, and raccoons that may try to steal eggs or attack the young. At around four months of age, the baby swans learn fly. They can celebrate their accomplishment with a loud call, since this is also about the time they learn to trumpet!