MEET THE FAMILY TRUMPETER SWANS of Wonder Lake Denali National Park and Preserve covers more than 6 million acres 2 4 million ha of Alaskan wilderness Deep in the park lies a unique inland ffjordjord called Wonder Lake Roughly three and a half miles 5 6 km long and one mile 1 6 km wide it is one of the park’s largest lakes With a depth of 250 feet 76 2 m Wonder Lake is the deepest body of water in Denali While lake trout and grayling swim in its depths horned grebes and northern pintails paddle on the lake’s mirrored surface Among the scattered cattails close to shore atop an abandoned muskrat lodge a pair of trumpeter swans built a nest It’s late May and for more than a month the large birds have guarded six eggs Now the parents hear a faint peeping from within the eggs It is time for their babies to enter the world
CLOSE-UP Insulation A cygnet’s down feathers form a thick fluffy coat As the swan ages down thickens thickens and a layer of flight feathers develops Air trapped between these feather layers provides insulation
01 CHAPTER ONE life begins Swans and their relatives ducks and geese are waterfowl They live and seek food primarily in lakes rivers and wetlands wetlands Waterfowl feed mainly on plant leaves stems and roots as well as algae and grass They may also unintentionally unintentionally eat snails insects worms and fish or frog eggs that are attached to water plants As migratory birds swans undertake regular seasonal journeys between two habitats There are six species of swan Black swans are native to Australia and black necked swans migrate throughout the southern half of South America Three swan species are named for the sounds they do or don’t make Trumpeter swans are scattered through northern regions of North america america Whooper HOOP-er swans range from Iceland to Asia and WONDER LAKE TRUMPETER SWAN MILESTONES DAY 1 Hatch from the eggs Pink bills Covered with light gray down Weight 8 ounces 227 g 7
