POLSON – Two dozen trumpeter swans were recently released at the Pablo National Wildlife Refuge on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
The work was done by the Tribal Wildlife Management Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was conducted as part of the tribes’ program to mitigate impacts of the operation of Kerr Dam. It is also part of an effort to restore the Rocky Mountain population of trumpeter swans through releases on National Wildlife Refuge System lands.
Dale Becker, manager of the Tribal Wildlife Program, says 159 captive-raised trumpeter swans have been released on the reservation since 2001. The swans have produced 69 cygnets since 2004.
Trumpeter swans weigh up to 35 pounds, stand up to 4 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet.