The status of Trumpeter Swans Cygnus buccinator wintering on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, in 1989

Abstract

A large portion of the Trumpeter Swans Cygnus c. buccinator breeding in Alaska are believed to winter in British Columbia, primarily along the coast (Anon. 1986). One of the most important wintering areas is Vancouver Island. Surveys of swans on Vancouver Island have been made periodically over the last 20 years. Some of these surveys have been reported in the literature (Smith & Blood 1971, McKelvey 1979) while others have remained unpublished or have appeared as conference proceedings (Davies 1987a). No comprehensive surveys were made between 1981 and 1988, although localized surveys on the east coast of Vancouver Island were carried out. In February 1989, we were able to conduct a complete aerial survey, and here present the results together with recent unpublished records of population size, proportion of cygnets, locations of major concentrations, and population trends throughout the island.