“Ensuring the continued existence of wild Trumpeter Swans in Ontario for generations to come.”

Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario is dedicated to the conservation, monitoring and protection of wild Trumpeter Swans throughout Ontario.

From Extirpation to Restoration

Trumpeter Swans were once part of Ontario’s natural landscape, but hunting for their feathers, skins and meat contributed to their disappearance from the province by the late 1800s. For nearly a century, the Trumpeter Swan was absent from Ontario’s wild.

That began to change in 1982.

Retired Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist Harry G. Lumsden spearheaded the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program with an ambitious goal: to restore this magnificent native species to its former Ontario range.

With support from conservation partners, foundations, businesses, individuals and an extraordinary network of volunteers, breeding pairs were established and cygnets were raised for release. Over the years, 574 captive-reared Trumpeter Swans were released at more than 50 locations throughout Ontario.

One of the program’s important milestones occurred at Wye Marsh. In 1993, a Trumpeter Swan affectionately known as “Pig Pen” successfully nested there, becoming the first known wild Trumpeter Swan to naturally nest in Ontario in more than 100 years. She would go on to produce more than 70 wild descendants.

A Conservation Legacy Continues

Banding and monitoring were essential to measuring the success of the restoration. Leg bands and distinctive yellow wing markers allowed individual swans to be identified, while observations submitted by dedicated volunteers and members of the public created an invaluable long-term record of Ontario’s recovering population.

The restoration succeeded, but the work did not end.

Today, Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario carries this conservation legacy forward.

Our volunteers operate a banding and monitoring program, collect data for researchers and institutions, assist wildlife rehabilitators caring for Trumpeter Swans, support research, educate the public, promote awareness of the importance of wetlands and other aquatic habitats, encourage habitat protection and development, and advocate for Trumpeter Swans.

Citizen science remains central to our work. Every banding record, sighting report, survey observation and field record contributes to our understanding of Ontario’s wild Trumpeter Swans and helps build the knowledge needed for their future conservation.

Protecting Their Future

Ontario’s Trumpeter Swans continue to face threats including lead poisoning, fishing line and tackle, habitat loss and degradation, collisions, disease, illegal shooting and human interference.

Their return to Ontario demonstrates what dedicated conservation, science, volunteers and public support can accomplish. It also reminds us that conservation does not end when a species returns.

Our responsibility is to help ensure it never disappears again.

Harry Lumsden passed away in February 2022, just one month before his 99th birthday. His extraordinary contribution to Ontario’s Trumpeter Swans lives on in every generation now born in the wild.

Harry shared his knowledge, his passion and his vision with those who worked alongside him. Today, TSCO’s volunteers are proud to continue the work he began and to carry his conservation legacy forward.

One man had a vision. Thousands of Trumpeter Swans later, it is our responsibility to protect what that vision helped restore.

Help Us Monitor and Protect Ontario’s Trumpeter Swans

Members of the public play an important role in our conservation work. Your reports help us monitor Ontario’s Trumpeter Swan population and respond when a swan may need assistance.

Report Trumpeter Swan sightings or a swan that may be injured or in distress through our website:

http://www.trumpeterswanconservationontario.com/

Sightings can also be emailed to trumpeterswan@live.ca, or you can connect with us on Facebook at Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario.

Every report contributes to our knowledge and conservation of Ontario’s wild Trumpeter Swans.