Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus

This Whooper Swan, photographed at Pound Cove (New-Wes-Valley) was a long-awaited first for the island and generally accepted as a wild, bonafide vagrant. (Photo: Jared Clarke, April 5 2023)

Status: Very Rare (< 5 records)

Origins: Widespread through Northern Europe and much of Asia, it is a very rare visitor to the Pacific Northwest and northeast of North America. Sorting out “bonafide” records is complicated by the species’ popularity in aviculture collections and resulting “escapees” that have been documented wandering North America — some having reportedly bred. Virtually all records outside of western Alaska have been at best hotly debated.

Record Details: One record for Newfoundland. An individual first sighted by locals on March 31, 2023 (and subsequently identified to species from photos) was present at various locations along the coast in Bonavista Bay North between Newtown and Wesleyville until at least April 28, 2023. While provenance is always questionable with this species, the location and timing of the record (corresponding with peak migration between Europe & Iceland) and overall behaviour of this individual led to this bird being widely accepted as wild.

Two earlier records in Labrador have also been regarded with mixed opinions regarding their provenance. The first was a record of three individuals at Cape North (near Cartwright) on August 18-20, 1994 – thought by some to have been wild birds, but complicated by the records of several presumed escapees in Massachusetts and Quebec earlier that year. Another individual was present at Muskrat Falls following a large snowstorm March 23-27, 2015. It was moribund and later died, its carcass recovered and preserved.

* NOTE – This website is not an official account and “may” contain incorrect information and/or details of unconfirmed records. *