Whether it is while leading a private tour or hosting a classroom full of students, it is often asked whether RWC ever releases birds back into the wild. It can be a tricky question because, for many of the species in our collection, the answer is no or not at this time, but for some, like the Trumpeter swan, the answer is yes.
As you can imagine, releasing birds back into the wild is far more complicated than simply opening our aviary doors and waving the birds’ farewell. Not only would this be breaking several state and federal regulations, but unfortunately, the long-term survival of that bird would likely be short. Although we are very hands-off with our birds, they still live what wild birds would call a “pampered lifestyle,” having 24/7 access to the best quality food money can buy, clean open water, vet care, and a net over their heads to prevent predation. All of this is important for the captive work RWC is doing, but if this were to suddenly stop the birds struggle for survival it would be dramatically different. What this means is that if there were the potential for captive release programs, the ways in which we would go about day-to-day care would be quite different. That is simply not possible with some species, but for others, our ability to prevent them from becoming adapted to human care is possible, and their future as productive birds in the wild is achievable.
On the flip side, there must be a need and the potential for a positive outcome if captive release programs are to be a possibility. Unfortunately, we as humans are not doing an adequate job of protecting our wild species and resolving some of the issues that are severely decreasing population numbers. For example, RWC has one of the largest captive populations of Baer’s pochard in the U.S. This species, which is found in Eastern Asia is one of the world most endangered waterfowl species and is in rapid population decline due to overhunting and habitat loss. It does not make sense to take captive bred birds and release them into the wild, to face the same fate as those before them. Instead, we must encourage more sustainable practices and work to resolve the issues that are facing not only the Baer’s pochard but many other species to ensure their long-term survival. If population numbers begin to stabilize, then there may be the option to release species which we have been safeguarding and keeping genetically pure in captivity.
There is of course much more that goes into captive release such as countless hours of planning, testing, and permitting, selecting viable species, and ensuring suitable habitat, all of which I am happy to discuss with anyone who would like to know more. For the sake of keeping all of those reading this awake, I will go into the exciting part which is Ripley’s involvement in releasing Trumpeter swans to the wild.
For those of you that do not know, Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) were once a critically endangered species that ornithologists predicted would become extinct in the early to mid-1900’s. In a time when subsistence and market hunting was prominent and conservation efforts were low, by 1932 there was thought to be fewer than 70 Trumpeter swans remaining in the United States. Unlike many other species before this time, the idea of conservation became a priority and effort was put into protecting this species. Hunting of Trumpeter swans was banned, and critical habitat was turned into refuge areas to promote successful breeding and rebound. By the late 1950’s several other small populations had been discovered and in areas of protection, numbers grew totaling a population of around 2000 birds. Although counts were still low, the challenge of inbreeding and the need for re-establishing populations in once-inhabited areas was needed. By the 1980’s Zoo’s, private aviculturists, and state agencies were all doing their part to produce birds that could be released into desired areas.
Almost ninety years after their predicted extinction, Trumpeter swans are now federally listed as Least Concern but are not as widespread as they once were. Today there are three recognized populations of Trumpeter Swans in the United States known as the Interior, Rocky-Mountain, and Pacific Coast populations and efforts are still ongoing to restore viable breeding populations. In conjunction with The Trumpeter Swan Society, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and select AZA accredited zoos, Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy was selected to produce Trumpeter swans to be released into Oregon in 2024.
The breeding pair of Trumpeter swans at RWC have been carefully selected based on genetic diversity and importance. The offspring they produce are important for captive breeding populations and are desired for captive release opportunities. In 2023, we hatched six Trumpeter swan cygnets, four of which were sent to other facilities around the country, and two were selected for release. These swans were all parent-reared and kept in an area with limited human exposure (hence the closure of part of the conservancy if you visited this summer). Other than daily visual health checks and providing food in ways that encouraged natural foraging behavior, we spent very little time interacting with these birds and wanted them to have little dependence and a natural “fear” of humans. Meanwhile, preparations were being made in both Idaho and Oregon for the wild release of these birds in the Spring of 2024. Because of weather conditions in both Connecticut and Idaho, transport got pushed back, but these birds will be moved to Idaho in mid-February where they will be released onto large ponds but still under the supervision and hands-off care of humans. In a sense, Idaho is the next step in “training” before these birds are fully released into the wild and on their own.
This is a project that RWC has been involved with in the past, and we were extremely excited to be asked to join again. Although today Trumpeter swans are listed as Least Concern, they are still missing from nearly two-thirds of their native range and have the lowest genetic diversity of any studied waterfowl species. This is just one of the many important projects RWC is involved in, and we look forward to similar projects in the future. If you're ever in Oregon and spot a wild Trumpeter swan, keep in mind that the bird might have originated from Litchfield, Connecticut!
For anyone interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me at Lconnor@ripleyconservancy.org. If you are interested in seeing our Trumpeter swans before they leave, I encourage you to register for our Ducks in Love event on February 10th and 11th.
