Superlative Swans

The elegant Trumpeter Swans are North America's biggest native waterfowl, stretching to 6 feet in length and weighing more than 25 pounds. Getting airborne requires a lumbering takeoff along a 100-yard runway. This once-endangered species was completely extirpated from Montana after European settlement. Thanks to aggressive reintroduction programs by MTFWP and USFW and others, this graceful swan is making a comeback.