WhenToBird

Cygnus columbianus · Anatidae

When Do Tundra Swans Arrive in Virginia?

Adult Tundra Swan
Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Tundra Swans are winter birds in Virginia: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in early December (3.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March.

When to look

First arrivalsNov 8-14the second week of November
Common byNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakDec 1-7early December
Most gone byMar 8-14the second week of March

Best: early December. First arrivals the second week of November; most are gone by the second week of March. Peak: on about 3.4% of Virginia checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprrare
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octrare
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

0%1%2%3%4%Jan 1-7: 2.7% of 32817 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.7% of 25111 checklistsJan 15-21: 3.3% of 25510 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.8% of 34492 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.1% of 24950 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.3% of 28224 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.2% of 43578 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.3% of 26467 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.8% of 25851 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.0% of 25901 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.0% of 26747 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.3% of 40819 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 31351 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.1% of 33239 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.1% of 37284 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.1% of 54364 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.1% of 47698 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 46174 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 36444 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 43203 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 28503 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 25485 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 23728 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 28785 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 22294 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 20481 checklistsJul 15-21: 0% of 18914 checklistsJul 22-31: 0% of 26976 checklistsAug 1-7: 0% of 19555 checklistsAug 8-14: 0% of 18744 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 18721 checklistsAug 22-31: 0% of 28763 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 23594 checklistsSep 8-14: 0% of 22581 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 23036 checklistsSep 22-30: 0% of 29687 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 24321 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.1% of 23946 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.1% of 22191 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.1% of 30161 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.6% of 21431 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.1% of 22758 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.4% of 19988 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.8% of 27665 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.3% of 19324 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.9% of 20316 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.0% of 25675 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.2% of 38677 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Mathews CountyBest late January · 76 checklists that week, 3,594 in all27%
  2. Accomack CountyBest early January · 798 checklists that week, 43,278 in all25%
  3. Surry CountyBest early February · 21 checklists that week, 2,669 in all25%
  4. Westmoreland CountyBest early March · 80 checklists that week, 4,451 in all25%
  5. King George CountyBest early December · 66 checklists that week, 4,478 in all23%
  6. King William CountyBest the second week of December · 24 checklists that week, 2,070 in all23%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife RefugeFairfax County, best late January · 28 checklists that week, 863 in all96%
  2. Little Toms Cove (northwest)Accomack County, best early February · 31 checklists that week, 1,972 in all96%
  3. Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge (west)Fairfax County, best early January · 20 checklists that week, 266 in all95%
  4. Chincoteague National Wildlife RefugeAccomack County, best the second week of December · 27 checklists that week, 2,784 in all93%
  5. Bush Island CoveVirginia Beach County, best the second week of December · 77 checklists that week, 6,303 in all81%

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

Best time of day

In Virginia, the Tundra Swan is most often listed on checklists started between 2 and 4 pm (1.3% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%2%12 am: too few checklists (485) to judge1 am: too few checklists (488) to judge2 am: too few checklists (423) to judge3 am: too few checklists (565) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1410) to judge5 am: too few checklists (10265) to judge6 am: 0.9% of 64788 checklists7 am: 1.0% of 169128 checklists8 am: 1.0% of 180748 checklists9 am: 1.0% of 153462 checklists10 am: 1.0% of 128966 checklists11 am: 1.1% of 104204 checklists12 pm: 1.0% of 91604 checklists1 pm: 1.2% of 85547 checklists2 pm: 1.2% of 82355 checklists3 pm: 1.5% of 82265 checklists4 pm: 1.1% of 76714 checklists5 pm: 0.4% of 56782 checklists6 pm: 0.1% of 40131 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (24290) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (7744) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (2383) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1122) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (651) 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
January2.7%2.7%3.3%2.8%
February3.1%2.3%2.2%3.3%
March2.8%2.0%1.0%0.3%
April0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
May0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0%0%
August0%0%0%0%
September0%0%0.1%0%
October0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
November0.6%2.1%2.4%3.8%
December3.3%2.9%2.0%3.2%

Neighboring states

  • Maryland: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Virginia
  • West Virginia: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Virginia
  • Delaware: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Virginia
  • North Carolina: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Virginia

Common questions

When do Tundra Swans arrive in Virginia?
Tundra Swans are winter birds in Virginia: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in early December (3.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March.
When do Tundra Swans leave Virginia?
Most Tundra Swans have left Virginia by the second week of March, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Tundra Swan in Virginia?
The Tundra Swan is reported most often in early December, on about 3.4% of Virginia checklists.
Where in Virginia are Tundra Swans seen most often?
By county, Mathews County, Accomack County, and Surry County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Tundra Swan (counties with at least 200 checklists).