Mute Swan in Nicollet County
2013-10-17

'Rare Regular' in Minnesota - Five or fewer records in Nicollet County for the Fall season

This Mute Swan was located in a flooded area along the E side of MN Hwy 111 at fire no. 42373, about 4 mi N of the town of Nicollet. It was with 35 Trumpeter Swans and several Canada Geese, and it is probably the same individual reported by Joel Claus on 13 October ~7 mi N of here in Sibley Co along MN Hwy 22. It is typically difficult to determine if a Mute Swan is "wild" and "countable" or if it recently escaped from captivity, although the relatively natural surroundings, its association with migrating Trumpeter Swans, its wary behavior, and no signs of leg bands or clipped flight feathers would all suggest "wild" status.

Kim R. Eckert