Tundra swans in an arctic flight

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Tundra swans are on their way to the resting places on the shores that they use each winter. A couple of thousands come as passing migrants, and their winter quarters are in the wetlands of the Netherlands. The Tundra Swan is a small Arctic swan. The Mute Swan with the orange bill is more known in the Netherlands. The breeding range of the Tundra swans extends across the coastal lowlands of Siberia. They start to arrive on the breeding grounds around mid-May, and leave for winter quarters around the end of September. According to National Geographic when migrating these birds can fly at altitudes of even 8 km; Tundra Swan flocks usually fly in V formation. The Tundra Swan remains far less known; the European winter population was estimated only at 15,000. About 15% of the adults die each year from various causes, and thus the average lifespan in the wild is about 10 years. The Tundra Swans mate in the late spring, usually after they have returned to the nesting grounds; as usual for swans, they pair monogamously until one partner dies. Should one partner die long before the other, the surviving bird often will not mate again for some years, or even for its entire life.

Photo of Tundra swans taken at the IJmeer near Durgerdam - the Netherlands. The flight call of the latter is a low and soft ringing bark, bow-wow...; the Whistling Swan gives a markedly high-pitched trisyllabic bark like wow-wow-wow in flight.

De Kleine Zwaan is een kwetsbare vogelsoort waarvan er nu nog maar 15.000 in Europa rondvliegen. Kleine Zwanen zijn Noordpoolcirkel broedvogels die elk jaar een tocht van 8.000 km op en neer maken tussen hun broedgebieden in het uiterste noorden van Rusland rond de poolcirkel en hun overwinteringgebieden in NW-Europa. Nederland en Engeland spelen daarin een hoofdrol. Specifiek ook het noordelijk deel van Noord-Holland met zijn uitgestrekte akkers, heeft een sleutelpositie tijdens de trektocht. Kleine zwanen verschillen onder andere van de ons bekendere knobbelzwaan door hun grootte. De kleine zwaan wordt zo'n 127 centimeter, en de knobbelzwaan wel 150 centimeter. Anders dan bij de wilde zwaan heeft de kleine zwaan minder geel op de snavel. Kleine zwanen zijn vanaf oktober tot maart te zien in Nederland. Ze komen in Nederland meestal voor in kleine tot heel grote troepen. Daarin zijn wel nog duidelijk de gezinnetjes te onderscheiden, dus wijfje en mannetje met één, soms twee of drie jongen en niet zelden zonder jongen. Tegenwoordig vinden ze bij aankomst in het najaar nog voldoende voedsel kranswieren en foneinkruidknollen, maar als het voedsel in het IJsselmeer later schaarser wordt wijken ze uit naar vooral grasland en soms ook naar akkers met oogstresten, zoals bieten. Op Europese schaal wordt de kleine zwaan beschermt door de vogelrichtlijn, in Nederland door de Flora- en Faunawet.

Michel_Derksen, mikazu001 on vacation, and 142 other people added this photo to their favorites.

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  1. Emilio74 29 months ago | reply

    Very good, thank you for
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  2. many smiles 29 months ago | reply

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  3. OlyaA (busy) 29 months ago | reply

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  4. yanen31 29 months ago | reply

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  5. Cesar Rivera Photography 29 months ago | reply

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  6. agedsenator 28 months ago | reply

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  7. fewstingscorpio 28 months ago | reply

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  8. moonie1971 28 months ago | reply

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  9. JACQUELINE :-o( GALERIA CERRADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA [deleted] 27 months ago | reply

  10. Photographic Poetry 27 months ago | reply

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  12. julies517 27 months ago | reply

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  13. Photo--Graphy [deleted] 27 months ago | reply

    Lovely capture


  14. mivuw 26 months ago | reply

    Great shot!

  15. bartholowaty | Photography 20 months ago | reply

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    Bart

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