Trumpeter Swan
Photo: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca
Lewis and Clark observed trumpeter swans at multiple points during the expedition. Large flocks were first noted in marshes near their winter camp at Wood River, Illinois, on February 15, 1804, before the main expedition departed. They later encountered the species along the Missouri River. Their observations were among the first to distinguish the trumpeter swan from the smaller tundra swan. The trumpeter swan is the largest native waterfowl species in North America.
Journal Excerpt
Clark, November 1, 1804: "Swans passing from N. to S…. a great number of Swans in a pond to the N.E. Saw Swans and other birds today; the Swans were in greater numbers than I had ever seen before."
Journal References
15 journal entries mention Trumpeter Swan