Jason E. Andersen

Bonus Fun Fact: Trumpeter swans are the heaviest birds native to North America. The average trumpeter weighs between 21 and 30 pounds, with large males weighing upwards of 35. Trumpeter swans were once thought to be extirpated (wiped out) from the United States, but conservation efforts allowed their population to rebound during the early 2000’s. A flock of these large and beautiful birds spends the winter in and around Atlantic (Iowa) each year. They can be seen feeding in row crop fields south of town along the Nishnabotna River, and roosting on the waters of Schildberg quarry.