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Sighting of apparent Whooper Swan on Vancouver Island , British Columbia
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Shuttleworth, Dianne |
| Copyright Year | 2016 |
| Abstract | A possible Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) was photographed in flight in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in January of 2008. It had been part of a group of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) feeding in a field. It appeared to be an adult or sub-adult bird with extensive yellowish markings on the bill, similar to those of a Whooper Swan. However, it had yellowish or yellow-grey legs instead of the usual black. Photographs were sent to various ornithologists in Europe and North America who are familiar with whooper and/or North American swans. Opinions were divided; some identified it as a Whooper Swan while others said it was not. Some suggested it might be a hybrid with whooper parentage. Diagnosis as a leucistic Trumpeter Swan was ruled out by expert opinion and failure to conform to any known colour variant. I conclude that the bird was most likely a Whooper Swan with leucistic legs and feet. It is possible that the bird was a domestic escapee although that is less likely in the western parts of North America. Three previous records of Whooper Swans have been published and apparently accepted for British Columbia. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://bcbirds.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/bcbirds_v18_p32_sighting-of-apparent-whooper-swan-on-vancouver-island-british.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
