A single black swan has taken up residency at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 13 miles southwest of downtown Portland. The avian celebrity has captured the attention of bird enthusiasts and photographers from across the metro area who seek out the creature in the early morning hours.
Birders and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff say it’s likely an escapee from a private collection or wildlife sanctuary. It’s also possible somebody didn’t want it and just dropped it off. First reports on social media show the swan cruising around the main refuge pond in early June.
Curt Mykut, a wildlife biologist who’s been working at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge for eight years, says he’s never seen a black swan at the refuge before, but believes the swan is fitting in well and getting along with fellow waterfowl. Mykut says the refuge is doing exactly what it was designed to do – create a refuge for wildlife.
It is not Oregon’s first black swan. In 2018, one was stolen from a private Newberg animal sanctuary. It was never found and it’s unknown if the swan at the refuge is the same swan. Swans can live well over a decade, especially in captivity. People who keep waterfowl often clip their first and secondary feathers to keep them from flying.
Photographer Dotty Weber captured the black swan flapping its wings the morning of July 30th, 2023. Courtesy of Dotty Weber/WesDotPhotography
For a period, the black swan was joined by a solo American white pelican, creating a pair that seemed strangely destined to be together. Recently, pelicans have increased at the refuge. Last year, a flock of over 60 white pelicans visited.
Native to Australia, 8,000 miles away, and normally found in groups, the swan clearly didn’t fly to Oregon. They don’t have large migration patterns, but instead migrate sporadically taking advantage of environmental conditions. In several places across the globe where they’ve been introduced, including Europe, Japan, China and New Zealand, they have flourished in the wild. Populations are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. They are not endangered.
Swans generally mate for life. Hybridization among waterfowl does happen, but it’s hyper rare, according to Mykut.
If interested in seeing the black swan along with all sorts of wildlife including beavers, it’s best to venture out in the early morning shortly after sunrise. The swan is known to be found feeding in the main pond. When you approach the refuge visitor’s center, follow the trail just south of it and head west towards the Purple Martin Nest Boxes.
If interested in seeing native swans in Oregon, November through January is the time to keep your eyes peeled. There are two species native to Oregon that pass through while migrating: the tundra swan and the trumpeter swan. Both are some of the largest birds on the planet and the largest waterfowl in Oregon.
Portland-area photographer Karim Lalji captured the black swan the morning of Aug. 12th, 2023. Lalji said he woke up at 4:30 a.m. to go find the swan. @karimlalji1 Courtesy of Karim Lalji
MORE:
–It’s the largest waterbird native to Australia
–They’re more susceptible to bird influenza than other waterfowl.
–The black swan is featured on the West Australian flag.
–Learn about the infamous black swan stamp
–Learn about black swan theory
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge:
–Address: 19255 SW Pacific Highway, Sherwood
–Hours: Dawn till dusk
–Visitor center hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday
Reporting by Mark Graves, The Oregonian/OregonLive
Photos courtesy of Rajiv Mongia, Dotty Weber and Karim Lalji
Sources: ODFW; animalia.bio; Birding Oregon on Facebook; University of QueenslandVideo: