January 2024 - 36

Greater Yellowstone Area trumpeter swan distribution
as we switched to develop plans and obtain
funding for construction of new ponds on
private ranches. I worked with wonderful
landowners who embraced swan conservation
and understood the importance of wetlands
for wildlife. Continued management and restoration
of wetland habitat will be needed
in the future to maintain a robust nesting
population in arid Wyoming. "
Concern remains over the low productivity
of nest sites and fewer nesting pairs in the
Snake River core area in northwest Wyoming.
Forage has been hypothesized as a limiting
factor for resident swans in the Snake River
core area as it seems migratory swans in the
RMP may reduce available spring forage.
Most migrant swans head north by late March
or early April, leaving resident breeding swans
to forage on remaining aquatic vegetation
until additional wetlands thaw and open. In
cold, late springs when the thaw is delayed,
available vegetation is in short supply during
the pre-nesting period, resulting in a reduced
number of eggs laid in nests.
Inside Yellowstone National Park, trumpeter
swans peaked at 72 in 1961 but then
declined. Releases of birds continue in the
park, but the productivity of nesting pairs
remains low. Much of this may be due to
long-term drought, less favorable weather
conditions and more marginal nesting habitat.
FUTURE
Wyoming trumpeter swan numbers are not
meeting objectives for the number of breeding
birds managers would like on the landscape.
Wyoming averages only 14 successful pairs
that hatch 2.2 cygnets a year.
While growing exponentially for a number
of years, the population of Green River area
birds has leveled off in recent years, which
suggests the population may have reached
the suitable nesting capacity in the wetland
areas and more habitat may be needed to see
trumpeter swan populations increase. It is
unknown at this time if there are birds moving
out from the Green River area and into other
suitable habitats.
" As a place that has always had trumpeters
even when they were at their lowest, we
want to make sure these impressive birds stick
around long term, and our flocks are resilient
enough to weather changes to the climate and
landscape, " said Noelle Smith, Game and Fish
migratory game bird and wetland biologist.
Reintroductions of the birds in the Wind
36 | January 2024
GreaterGreater
Yellowstone
CoreArea
Yellowstone
CoreArea
ABSAROKA
RANGE
WIND RIVER
RANGE
GreaterYellowstone
ExpansionArea
(Esri, CGIAR, USGS, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, BLM)
Legend
Snake River trumpeter swan
territories in Wyoming
GREAT SALT
LAKE DESERT
Green River trumpeter swan
territories in Wyoming
Expansion area
Core area
15 30
60
²
Susan Patla, former Wyoming Game and Fish Department nongame biologist, fits a neckband on an adult trumpeter
swan to map its travels before being released into the wild near Jackson. (Photo by Mark Gocke/WGFD)

January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024

January 2024 - 1
January 2024 - 2
January 2024 - 3
January 2024 - 4
January 2024 - 5
January 2024 - 6
January 2024 - 7
January 2024 - 8
January 2024 - 9
January 2024 - 10
January 2024 - 11
January 2024 - 12
January 2024 - 13
January 2024 - 14
January 2024 - 15
January 2024 - 16
January 2024 - 17
January 2024 - 18
January 2024 - 19
January 2024 - 20
January 2024 - 21
January 2024 - 22
January 2024 - 23
January 2024 - 24
January 2024 - 25
January 2024 - 26
January 2024 - 27
January 2024 - 28
January 2024 - 29
January 2024 - 30
January 2024 - 31
January 2024 - 32
January 2024 - 33
January 2024 - 34
January 2024 - 35
January 2024 - 36
January 2024 - 37
January 2024 - 38
January 2024 - 39
January 2024 - 40
January 2024 - 41
January 2024 - 42
January 2024 - 43
January 2024 - 44
January 2024 - 45
January 2024 - 46
January 2024 - 47
January 2024 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
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