WhenToBird

Cygnus buccinator · Anatidae

When Do Trumpeter Swans Arrive in Wisconsin?

Adult Trumpeter Swan
Photo: brentnmoran, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Trumpeter Swans are winter birds in Wisconsin: the first arrive in late January, they are common by mid February, peak in the second week of March (5.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid November.

When to look

First arrivalsJan 22-31late January
Common byFeb 15-21mid February
PeakMar 8-14the second week of March
Most gone byNov 15-21mid November

Best: the second week of March. First arrivals late January; most are gone by mid November. Peak: on about 5.6% of Wisconsin checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.4% of 27925 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.3% of 18337 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.2% of 17370 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.5% of 23777 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.2% of 16656 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.2% of 18286 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.1% of 24739 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.8% of 20113 checklistsMar 1-7: 5.3% of 24024 checklistsMar 8-14: 5.9% of 26722 checklistsMar 15-21: 5.7% of 27238 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.9% of 40171 checklistsApr 1-7: 4.7% of 34961 checklistsApr 8-14: 4.8% of 39128 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.2% of 38887 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.0% of 57231 checklistsMay 1-7: 3.4% of 55115 checklistsMay 8-14: 3.3% of 63098 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.3% of 49821 checklistsMay 22-31: 4.2% of 56796 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.9% of 33621 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.2% of 31282 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.6% of 30186 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.1% of 35128 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.1% of 27088 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.1% of 23293 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.4% of 20933 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.6% of 27595 checklistsAug 1-7: 3.2% of 19147 checklistsAug 8-14: 3.9% of 18286 checklistsAug 15-21: 4.0% of 19195 checklistsAug 22-31: 3.2% of 28229 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.7% of 22408 checklistsSep 8-14: 2.6% of 20857 checklistsSep 15-21: 3.1% of 20707 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.8% of 26469 checklistsOct 1-7: 3.2% of 21069 checklistsOct 8-14: 3.6% of 21011 checklistsOct 15-21: 4.0% of 20006 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.4% of 26362 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.1% of 18928 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.8% of 17052 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.6% of 16291 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.2% of 20564 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.8% of 15354 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.5% of 16294 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.2% of 21430 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.4% of 26314 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Wisconsin that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Wisconsin

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Burnett CountyBest mid October · 166 checklists that week, 11,034 in all64%
  2. Juneau CountyBest late September · 114 checklists that week, 7,249 in all39%
  3. Washburn CountyBest early March · 34 checklists that week, 7,099 in all36%
  4. Pierce CountyBest late January · 130 checklists that week, 7,076 in all34%
  5. Trempealeau CountyBest early March · 90 checklists that week, 6,201 in all29%
  6. Adams CountyBest early March · 73 checklists that week, 5,946 in all28%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Willow RiverSt. Croix County, best early January · 20 checklists that week, 372 in all100%
  2. Rynearson Flowage 1Juneau County, best early June · 24 checklists that week, 495 in all95%
  3. Whiskey Creek FlowageBurnett County, best mid March · 22 checklists that week, 763 in all94%
  4. Canute Creek Flowage (Daniels Flowage)Burnett County, best late March · 22 checklists that week, 291 in all93%
  5. Rynearson FlowageJuneau County, best mid May · 39 checklists that week, 817 in all89%
  6. Powell Marsh Wildlife AreaVilas County, best late April · 27 checklists that week, 480 in all88%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Wisconsin, the Trumpeter Swan is most often listed on checklists started between 11 am and 1 pm (3.7% of those checklists).

0%1%2%3%4%12 am: too few checklists (993) to judge1 am: too few checklists (844) to judge2 am: too few checklists (839) to judge3 am: too few checklists (1488) to judge4 am: too few checklists (5344) to judge5 am: 3.3% of 27016 checklists6 am: 3.1% of 83973 checklists7 am: 2.6% of 160717 checklists8 am: 2.8% of 160531 checklists9 am: 3.5% of 136968 checklists10 am: 3.6% of 119110 checklists11 am: 3.7% of 99116 checklists12 pm: 3.7% of 85078 checklists1 pm: 3.6% of 80688 checklists2 pm: 3.7% of 79140 checklists3 pm: 3.2% of 78599 checklists4 pm: 3.3% of 69767 checklists5 pm: 3.3% of 53229 checklists6 pm: 2.8% of 38769 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (24396) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (10155) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (4990) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (2463) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (1281) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.4%1.3%1.2%1.5%
February2.2%2.2%2.1%3.8%
March5.3%5.9%5.7%4.9%
April4.7%4.8%4.2%4.0%
May3.4%3.3%3.3%4.2%
June3.9%3.2%2.6%2.1%
July2.1%2.1%2.4%2.6%
August3.2%3.9%4.0%3.2%
September2.7%2.6%3.1%2.8%
October3.2%3.6%4.0%3.4%
November3.1%2.8%2.6%2.2%
December1.8%1.5%1.2%1.4%

Neighboring states

  • Illinois: arrives late October, 12 weeks earlier than Wisconsin
  • Iowa: arrives late September, 16 weeks earlier than Wisconsin
  • Michigan: year-round, peaks early March
  • Minnesota: arrives early March, 5 weeks later than Wisconsin

Common questions

When do Trumpeter Swans arrive in Wisconsin?
Trumpeter Swans are winter birds in Wisconsin: the first arrive in late January, they are common by mid February, peak in the second week of March (5.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid November.
When do Trumpeter Swans leave Wisconsin?
Most Trumpeter Swans have left Wisconsin by mid November, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early December.
When is the best time to see a Trumpeter Swan in Wisconsin?
The Trumpeter Swan is reported most often in the second week of March, on about 5.6% of Wisconsin checklists.
Where in Wisconsin are Trumpeter Swans seen most often?
By county, Burnett County, Juneau County, and Washburn County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Trumpeter Swan (counties with at least 200 checklists).