Tundra swans return to southwestern Ontario during spring migration
CBC News | Posted: March 12, 2023 9:00 AM | Last Updated: March 12, 2023
Thousands of white swans are stopping in Aylmer, Long Point and the Pinery on their way to the arctic
Thousands of tundra swans are arriving in southwestern Ontario as they make their way north during their spring migration.
The large birds, which resemble a Canada goose save for their white body, begin to flock by the thousands to their habitat in the Aylmer area this time of year.
The event, a pit stop on a journey over 6,000 kilometres long, typically brings crowds of people to places like the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area, Long Point and Pinery Provincial Park.
The birds come from the East Coast of the United States and will fly as far north as Alaska and the Canadian Arctic.
"Swans are actually one of the most heavy, in terms of body mass, birds that are able to fly. So they're very powerful and fast migrants," said Jackson Kusack, a PhD candidate with the Centre for Animals on the Move at Western University, on CBC Afternoon Drive.
"Because they're carrying this huge body mass, they have to make lots of little stopovers to refuel, to eat and get their energy back. And we happen to be one of those stops."
Kusack said the tundra swan could weigh up to 10 kilograms, which is twice the mass of a Canada goose.
"These are big majestic flying white ducks, basically," he said. "And the neat thing about them is that they stay in these family groups, and they generally migrate together."
LISTEN | Western University PhD candidate Jackson Kusack talks tundra swans on CBC Afternoon Drive:
Tundra swans typically arrive in southwestern Ontario in late February and March. They gather in the Aylmer area, where they feed on corn. They also gather in large flocks in the Long Point area and at the Pinery Provincial Park.
"At some of these stopover sites, you can see hundreds, and even on a good day, you can see over 1,000 swans all feeding and stopping over at the exact same location," said Kusack.
The tundra swans are expected to continue on their journey to the Arctic in the next few weeks.