June 2020 • Nebraskaland 53
where and when these birds move
about the landscape. For the most
part, we found these trumpeter swans
neither left Nebraska nor traveled far
from the Sandhills.
Additionally, basic information on
Sandhills trumpeters, such as nesting
and hatching success and cygnet
survival, was lacking. Aerial surveys
indicate that while the Sandhills
population was growing, the number
A pair of trumpeter swans and their month-old cygnet swim through a
wetland at Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area near Merriman in Cherry
County. When the nest was monitored in 2016, the female laid seven eggs,
only two of which hatched. Neither cygnet survived to fledge.
Previous Page: A trio of swans flies over Blue Creek in Garden County north
of Oshkosh, a major wintering area for swans in the state.
