Swan Lovers | A site dedicated to sharing general care of mute swans

Captive Mute Swans – Private Property

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Captive Mute Swans - Private Property - (Comments Off)

Captive Mute Swans – Private Property

Please Keep ALL your Mute Swans on Private Property.
In the United States.. State by State
they ALL have Different Management Policies for Mute Swans.
Please do your Best to Follow the Rules..

Mute Swans Living Wild Free – Feral

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Mute Swans Living Wild-Free - Feral - (Comments Off)

Mute Swans Living Wild Free – Feral

Swans that like to Live as Threesomes

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Swans that like to Live as Threesomes - (Comments Off)

Swans that like to Live as Threesomes

The Information for this Page is being Organized.

A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan - (Comments Off)

A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan.

A Lone Swan sees only his Reflection.
“The Only Swan I see is looking back at Me.”

Swans are Social Birds.
They Behave Differently with a Companion or Mate.

Swan will Live Alone – But….

Click Images to Enlarge

A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan.
There is a Sadness about them.
They do not Understand “Future.”
But, they Remember being Alone at SunSet, SunRise and Lonely Days.

Lone Swans can be Captive or Feral.. They are Alone.

This Female Mute was a Discarded Pet.

March 2024 – I can not Think of my Life without the Swans.
I have been Loving and Caring for Swans for 20 Years.

In Fact February 18, 2024 was 20 Years to the Day
I Encountered my first Swan. February 18, 2004.

She was a Discard Pet we called “Pretty Girl” that was spending
her Days at a nearby Boat Launch along the Susquehanna River.
She was Alone and seemed so Sad..

Thanks to the Internet,
I did Searches and started to Learn about Swans.

My Love of Swans was Firmly Set
when in 2005, a BIG, Mature Mute Male
Flew into our Area and Pair-Bonded with her.
I was Hooked after Watching them Together.

We have had MANY Swan Adventures since then.

This Female Lived for Four Year Alone on the River.
Literally, “Out of the Blue” a Mature Mute Cob Flew into our River System.
He Found the Lonely Pen.. They Bonded Quickly.

It was Wonderful to Witness their Happy Union.

Now SunRises were Delightful.

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A Lone Feral Male Swan on a Large River System.He Toured the River Looking for People to Visit.

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A Skittish Young Female Mute Alone on another River System.

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A Different River – A Different Female Mute.
After Several Weeks Alone she Disappeared.

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A Captive Bred-Released Trumpeter Swan Travels Alone.
It took Weeks to Gain his Trust.

He Found Winter Food Support and Visitor at a Boat Launch.

This Juvenile Trumpeter Swan was Fed TOO Much Bread.
One Afternoon, he went to Sleep One Last Time.

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This Feral Swan came from some place Up River.
Joining with Two other Swans Living in this Area..

One of her Companions was Seriously Injured and Rescued.
Her other Companion was Shot.

This Feral Swan was Alone for over Six Months.

During the Winter we Visited her with Food every Day.
******
******
******
Her Story was Ended with a Hunter’s Bullet.

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After 23-24 Years Together this Cob’s Brother Died.

At 24 Years Old, the Lone Cob Accepted an 18 Month Old Female.

“Prince” lived to be 33 Years Old.

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This Mute Cob is Full Wing… a Lone Rogue.
He was Flying from Pond to Pond..All over the Area.

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The Cob Below is Pinioned – his Female was Full Wing – she Flew Away.

Now he is ALL Alone on a BIG Pond.
He was Eventually Rehomed.

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This Swan is “Jakey.” He was 2 years old.
Had been Alone most of the Summer.

The Swan in the Mirror is his Main Company..
He sat with the Mirror for hours each Day..

We Arranged a Young Female for him..

“Sadie” & “Jakey” have been Happy Together for 6 Years in 2025.
In Spring 2025 they have Six Tiny Cygnets.

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Several Times a Year, I have a Call or EMail from Folks
that have Purchased a Property and a Lone Swan came with it.

It is Important to KNOW the Sex of the Lone Resident Swan
before Bringing a New Swan to be a Companion or Mate.

I will try to Arrange for Compatible Swans.

******

It is Magical to See Swans Living Together

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A Raccoon Killed this Cob’s Female.
They had been Together for Many Years.

He would Flirt when I came to Visit.
Lonely – He Walked Away from his Property.. Gone.

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This Mute Cob was Living Alone.
His Female was Shot.. He Never Accepted another Female.

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Sold with his Sister as a Pair – Both had been Poorly Fed…
Severely Under Weight – his Sister Died.
With a Proper Diet he becomes a BIG Health Cob.
This Cob and his New Pen Shared Years of their Lives Together.
We Enjoyed Many Visits with this Pair.

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We Moved our Young Rescued Cygnet to his New Home.
We were Arranging for Two Females to Join Him.
“Meadow” Wanted NOTHING to do with us.. He was Lonely !

No Longer our BackYard Buddy..He felt Abandon.

His New Companions were Being Treated for an Illness.

“Meadow” was a VERY Lonely Cygnet – Depressed. He would NOT Visit with us.
There is NO Way to Tell this Very Lonely Cygnet, “The Girls” will be Well Soon.
Finally Happy Together.
We were Lucky – our Threesome was Together for 8 Years.
They had known One Another since they were 6 Months Old.

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A Companion Sister was Killed. Alone for many Months.
Finally A Companion.
But Not a Mate.
Yes, there are Two Swans on the Pond.
But they are Both Males ! UNRELATED !
This Relationship will be Troubled.
Yep, it DID End.

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This Young Female was Chased Away from her Family.

We had No Way to Catch a Full-Wing Swan on the River.
There are Too many Rocks and Shallow Place for a Boat.
Kayaks and Canoes are Too Slow.

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A Feral Male Swan Living Along a Local Creek.

A Feral Swan Wandering from Place to Place has little Support.After Months Alone he Disappeared.
We Never Learned his Fate.

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This Mute Cob is Singing into the Air.
Hoping Another Swan will Hear him.

It is Suggested that Lone Females will go looking for a Male,
more often then a Male Swan goes looking for a Female.
Male Swans will Generally Stay and Protect “their” Territory.

All Birds are Driven by their Reproductive Hormones.
Winter is the Season their Hormones Increase.
Lone Swans may go Wandering.
Check they are on the Water at SunSet and SunRise.

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A Mature Rogue Female Swan Stole her Male.We Moved this Young Female to a Safer Home.

In a Few Weeks she will be Introduced to a Male.
She will be a Happy Swan Again.They Nested the Following Spring.
We Lost this Beautiful Pen a Few Days after her Cygnet Hatched..
Now the Cob was Alone Again.

Dear little “Puppy” did not Survive..

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This Female was Alone – Her Mate had been Killed.
She Welcomed a Young Male.
******
She has Company Again.

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This Female Lost her Male Companion/Mate.

This Female Mute Swan is Telling the Dock Post
“I Like You.”

She has been Alone for close to Two Years.

This Gentle Female Died Alone.

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Several Days Ago.. Her Mate Died.

She is Alone for the First Time in Five Years.

Alone No More. A Female Cygnet is her New Companion.

******

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Not Pinioned, this Young Swan Flew Away.******
******
There were Ducks and Friendly People at the Marina.
A Hunter Eventually Shot this Young Swan.

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Her Companions LEFT their Safe Pond.
She Sits Alone – Waiting for their Return.
******
Even with Lots of Feathered Ducks – She was So Lonely.

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First: her Female Companion Died.
Then: her Rescued Male Companion Died from Injuries.

“Pippa” was Alone for such a Long Time.
Swans have Memory of Endless Days Alone.
With No Hope of a Companion, “Pippa” was not doing well Alone.
She was Wandering the Neighborhood – Crossing Roads.

She had Lots of Feathered Friend. But she was Still Alone.

Finally, we Arrange for her to Move to a New Home.

The Mate of the young Pen below was Killed.
******

The Young Pens are Surprised to See Each Other.

We Brought Treats for the Girls.

Their Upper Necks are Puffed-Up with Happiness.
When a Companion/Mate is Introduced their Personalities Blooms.

YEAH ! !
It Only took a Short Time for these Pens to Become Best Friends.

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A Mute Cob is Facing the Winter Months Alone.

A Paddling of Ducks are his Only Feathered Companions.
We Tried to Rescue him – No Luck.

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This Young Female was Alone for Over a Year.
“At least they have Feathers.”

We Introduced One of our Rescued Males
and they were Great Company for each Other.
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Some Lone Swans will Seek Companionship from Ducks and Geese.They want to have Companions to Preen with – Sit with.

******

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A Female Nesting Alone is Very Vulnerable.
She will be VERY Vulnerable to Predators.

She needs to “Sits” for 42 Days before Removing her Eggs.
“Spring” is Nesting on an Island Alone. Fairly Safe.

A Female Swan Nesting Alone
may NEED some Extra Protection Around her Nest.
If She is Nesting on an Island.. that Helps.

A Lone Pen will DEFEND Unfertile Eggs.
which makes them VERY Vulnerable to Predators.
The Reason Swan Cobs are so Fierce during the Spring,
is Swans are Ground Nesting Birds..

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This Lonely Female Swan Shared her Food with the Pond Koi.
They Grabbed her Food – Gone in a Minute.
She Finally Died Alone.
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A “Rogue” Female Swan took the Mature Male away
from this Young Female… Now she is Alone.
We Started to Look for a New Male…. It took Time.
She wanted some Companionship.. Enter an Egret.
“Hannah” tried to Talk to the Egret – “Snort.”

They do not Speak the same Language.
Her “Snort” scared the Egret away.
Our Young Pond Princess was Alone for about a Month.

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A Lone Swan will usually Look forward to Human Company.
******
We Helped to Arrange for a New Female.

Alone No Longer.. A Sweet Young Female joins this Older Cob.

Together they Watched a Family Wedding.
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This Black Australian Cob has No Mate.
He is Nesting Alone.

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This Young Male was Rescued from a Dangerous Situation.

He Spent his First Winter Alone.
This Pair of Ducks became his Favorite Companions.

The Following Summer he Welcomed a Shy Female Cygnet.

A Year Later they are Happy – Bonded.

Now Winter is a Wonderful Time of Year for them.

They are Adorable Together.
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Tragically, her Mate was Killed Protecting her while she was Nesting.

Now she has a New Mate to Sleep with. So Cute.

Swans are Such Social Creatures. Life is Better Shared.

They Guard and Warn each other while Eating and Sleeping.

One will Sleep while the other Stays Awake and Watches.
Swans are Very, Very Light Sleepers.

We were out a few Times with our Swans Late at Night just to watch what happens.
We sat Quietly by their Pond just Observing.
We were Ignored, they did not come over for Treats.
They were Silent. NO Vocals. The Swans would Float Tail to Tail.

One Swan would Rest for about 20-30 Minutes
while the other would Keep Watch. One Eye Open.
Then they would Switch. Reposition their Location
in case they had been Floating Away from their Safe Zone.
This is a VERY Small Number of Observations. I did find it Interesting.

A Lone Swan will Sleep/Nap more during the Day Hours..

When Alone they go into a Survival Mode.. Alone they have to be on Guard 24/7.
Swans are Prey Birds.. and more Vulnerable when Alone..
They become more Cautious.. Less Relaxed.
When they try to Rest there is no way to Sleep Soundly.

Nap Time Above… One Swan has One Eye Open..

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The Sudden Loss of her Sister Companion.. She Still looks for her.

We Arranged for a Rescued Male to Join her Pond.

This Young Rescued Male was Full-Winged – Clipped Twice.. but he had WanderLust.

We can not Explain Property Lines to the Swans.

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Going into Survival Mode. A Week Ago we could Hand Feed this Young Female and her Sister.

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A Feral Swan Living Alone.. with Canadian Geese. They are Company… But….&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A Mute Cob Alone for Months Welcomes a Young Female.
******

******

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A Mature Pen Welcomes a Young Male Cygnet.

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I have seen Lone Male Swans “Singing” up into the Air.
They are Calling – Hope to Locate Another Swans.
Especially a Female..Winter Time Alone is NO Fun.
The Long, Dark, Nights are Cold and Lonely.

******

******
Their Happy Relationship was Short..

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These Three Mute Swans came onto our Local River System
at Different Times. Each Alone.
They found each other and formed a Threesome.
******
******
In April there were only Two Feral Swans.

Swans are Very Different when they have Company.
In November there were Three Feral Swans.

Life is Better with Friends.

******

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This Information is a Work in Progress…..
As I learn more I may add to this Topic Page.
Compiled by (C) L.M.Sweger Updates January 2024
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One Winter Day Visit with a Lone Feral Mute Swan.
As soon as she saw our Van she Headed toward Us.
******
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Several People helped Feed “Harmony” during the Winter.
******
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She Trusted Us..And we would Bring Good Food and Treats.
And some Companionship.******
******
A Gentle Feral Swan Living Alone.
We Tried to Catch her… No Luck.
In the End She was Shot to Death.

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The Swan Family Unit

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in The Swan Family Unit - (Comments Off)

Watch a Family of Swans Leave their Spring Nest
and Go Out on the Water of a Pond or Lake
is Quiet an Experience.

The Tiny Cygnets GROW So Fast.

The Devoted Parents will Spend the Summer
and Early Fall Teaching their Brood to be Swans.

The Swan Family Unit

Click to Enlarge Images

With Cygnets the Pen is Called the “Dam.”
With Cygnets the Cob is Called the “Sire.”

The Tiny Healthy Cygnets are Ready to Leave their Nest
within Hours of Hatching.

Where to Find Information for Your State

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Where to Find Mute Swan Information for Your State - (Comments Off)

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ACQUIRE MUTE SWANS FOR YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY WATER ENVIRONMENT…..
PLEASE CHECK THIS PAGE FIRST.

Before Considering Mute Swans for Your Property,
It is Advisable to Check with your State’s
WildLife Management Services..

Where to Find Information for Your State

Click Images to Enlarge

In the United States *Captive* Mute Swans are Classified as “EXOTIC.”
Living Free off Private Property they are Classified as Invasive- “Feral.”

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Since December 2004 Mute Swans are no longer
Protected by
The Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

POLICIES AND REGULATIONS FOR OWNING MUTE SWANS ARE DIFFERENT STATE BY STATE.

EACH U.S. STATE DEVELOPS THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT PLAN, POLICIES, GUIDELINES OR REGULATIONS.

The Management for Mute Swans is handled at the State Level.
Each State in the United States develops their Individual
Management Program.. They are being Revised all the time.

Many States are very Strict Requiring a Permit.
More and More States have decided to Prohibit Mute Swan.
Some have Guidelines that if Followed will allow Ownership.

Each Year the Rules Change –
Always Check the Current Status.
You will need to Contact your State’s Department of Natural Resources.
DNR – WildLife Management Services
Fish & WildLife Services – *** WaterFowl Management.

WaterFowl Breeders offering Mute Swans for Sale,
May not warn you that your State has Regulations,
Management Guidelines, require Permits
and/or Prohibit Mute Swans in your State.

Moving Mute Swans into States that Prohibit them,
may end very badly for the Swans.

PLEASE LEARN THE POLICY FOR YOUR STATE.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TO LEARN THE STATUS OF MUTE SWANS
IN YOUR STATE

SOME States have this Information readily available
on their DNR Game Commission – Fish and WildLife Websites.
SOME States have Little to NO information.
Best to Call these States for Information.

Use these Terms to help with a “SEARCH”

(State Name) Mute Swan (Add a Word from the Following)
Guidelines, Regulations, Rules, Policies, Plans,
Restrictions, Codes, Prohibitions…

Example: Maryland Mute Swan Code
******* Then try a different word.
Until you find information about Mute Swans.

Try to determine when the Information was Posted..
If it is more then Two years Old…
Best to Call their Waterfowl Management for Update.
**************************************

U.S. Fish & WildLife Service State by State….
Contact Phone #s Call 1-800-344-WILD

www.fws.gov
This Site has an Interactive STATE Map..
Select the State you want to Check..
Press and the Current Information will display..

***THIS IS THE LINK TO EACH STATE
https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
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INTERACTIVE MAP of DNR Contacts by State
https://www.walleyehunter.com/dnrmap.html
***************************************
U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVES – ALL STATES
https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
***************************************
**General Mailing Address in Wash, D.C.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Information Collected and Compiled by L.M.Sweger 2016
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I am Starting with
Guidelines for OUR Home State Pennsylvania.

Below I will include information for other U.S. States
that I have check over the past several years for their
Mute Swan Policies.

I have NOT researched all States. Policies KEEP Changing.
If you have any DOUBT
Please Call Your State DNR-Fish & WildLife Service.
**************
** PENNSYLVANIA
As of 2016 Mute Swans are Allowed on Private Property.
They are Classified as Captive Domestic/Exotic Waterfowl.
In Pennsylvania Mute Swans are Considered Captive Pets.

Mute Swans and/or their Young may not be Released
to Public Lands or WaterWays.

Arrange for All Mute Swan Cygnets to have Proper Homes.

Hunters destroy the Feral Mute Swans in Pennsylvania.
In early Spring Helpless 10 month old Cygnets are chased off their Parents Ponds. Most are not Pinioned. If they are LUCKY and Rescued, they will need to be Clipped Annually by their new Owners.

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Mute Swan Regulation in States around Pennsylvania.
As of 2016

In most States surrounding Pennsylvania, owning Mute Swans is Prohibited or Restricted by Permit.

Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia consider Mute Swans as Exotic Domestic unprotected Birds.

Pennsylvania and Virginia allow Feral Mute Swans to be Shot by Hunters.

Delaware and Maryland DNR-Fish & WildLife aggressively removes Mute Swans from State Lands.

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** DELAWARE – Ownership Prohibited
3.5 Mute Swans (Cygnus olor)
3.5.1 Mute Swans shall be considered an Exotic, Invasive Species that is not subject to State Protection.
Mute Swans may only be taken during legal Waterfowl Hunting
Seasons and Shooting Hours.
The method of take for Mute Swans is restricted to shotguns no
larger than 10 gauge and with non-toxic ammunition no larger than size T.

3.5.2 It shall be unlawful to possess, buy, sell, barter, trade, or transfer any live Mute Swan or their eggs to or from another person unless permitted by the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
3.5.3 It shall be unlawful to release any Mute Swans into the wild.

State of Delaware – 3000 Division of Fish and Wildlife
Federal Laws and Regulations Adopted
https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title7/3000/3900%20Wildlife/3903.shtml
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** KENTUCKY – Ownership Prohibited
Kentucky State Laws Governing Private Possession of Exotic Animals.

ADMIN. REGS. 2:082 – Transportation and holding of Exotics.

Kentucky Mute Swans – You will find several sites that have lovely Photos of Kentucky Mute Swans. AND you will find several sites that have information about them being a Prohibited Exotic Specie in Kentucky. Before you continue Searching for Mute Swans PLEASE contact your Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Services.
Speak to the Kentucky Waterfowl Biologist.
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** MARYLAND – Code of Maryland Regulations for the
Possession and Trade of Captive Mute Swans 08.03.09.13
.13 Possession and Trade of Captive Mute Swans.
A. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, it shall be
a violation to buy, sell, barter, trade, or transfer any Mute Swan
or Mute Swan Eggs to or from another person.

You may not legally move Mute Swans into Maryland.
After Aug. 31, 2009, it shall be a Violation to Buy,
Sell, Barter, Trade, or Transfer any Mute Swan
or Mute Swan Eggs to or from another Person.
******************
A Few Mute Swan in Maryland were “GrandFathered.”
Mute Swan MDNR Permits are only for Mute Swans that were
on private property in Maryland before Aug. 31, 2009.

C. A person may not possess a Mute Swan unless permitted
under this regulation. Possession shall include any Mute Swan
held in an enclosure, pinioned to prevent its escape, or otherwise
confined on a person’s property.

D. A person may apply, through August 31, 2009, for a permit
to possess a Mute Swan by completing a form prescribed by
the Service. After that date, the Service may not issue permits
allowing the possession of Mute Swans.

2011 MUTE SWAN MANAGEMENT PLAN – MARYLAND
This Site Removed
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** NEW JERSEY – Ownership Prohibited

May 2015
– I Spoke with the New Jersey Northern Regional Office WildLife Law Enforcement.
1( 908 ) 735-8240
Checking to see what the New Jersey Policy is for Mute Swans.

Exotic Animals need an approved Permit in New Jersey.
NJDEP F&W will not approve a Permit for Mute Swans.
*******************************************************
** NEW YORK – In 2014-2016 New York is still trying to figure out
what they are doing with the Mute Swans in their State..
The DNR-Atlantic Flyway Side is Pushing to Destroy the Swans.
The Public is Pushing back to Save them.

SAVE MUTE SWANs
https://savemuteswans.org/

STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF MUTE SWANS IN NEW YORK STATE DRAFT Final Report December 2013
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/muteswanreport.pdf

New York DEC wants to Eliminate the Mute Swans.

NY DEC’s plan to Kill or Mutilate healthy Mute Swans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loyzZ6zMAL0

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7076.html
Reporting Problems Related to Mute Swans
If you have concerns regarding Mute Swans impacting Vegetation,
Wildlife, or Human Activities on your Property, please contact
the DEC Wildlife Office in your region.

They can provide information or assistance to alleviate the problem.
Remember, Mute Swans are protected by the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. Therefore, Swans, as well as their Nests and Eggs, may not be handled or harmed without Authorization from DEC.

NYS Mid-Summer Mute Swan Survey Results 2017

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2017muswsurvey.pdf

Mute Swan Surveys – DEC conducts a Mid-summer Mute Swan Survey to assess the population status of this non-native species and to help evaluate the need for and success of management efforts.

A Plan To Eliminate Wild Mute Swans Draws Vocal Opposition
https://hawaiipublicradio.org/post/plan-eliminate-wild-mute-swans-draws-vocal-opposition

**************NOVEMBER 2016 UPDATE***********

NYS Gov. Cuomo has (after several refusals)
Signed a Bill to (for a Period of time)
STOP the Slaughter of the Feral Mute Swans in New York State.

It is not a Perfect Reprieve.. but, it does give some HOPE that in some way SOMEOne will look at this terrible injustice before the Enchanting Swans are Destroyed.

Nov.28, 2016 New York Swans get a Reprieve…

Gov.Cuomo Signs Bill to Stop Killing Mute Swans

After LOTs of Public Support for the Mute Swans.

***************************************************
Cuomo signs Bill to Save Mute Swans
https://www.wgrz.com/news/local/new-york/cuomo-signs-bill-to-save-mute-swans/357841153

There are Many more News Articles/Reports

Each has a bit of extra Information.. .

SEPTEMBER 2017 UPDATE New Management Plan Draft

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/111322.html

This draft reads like a kinder, gentler plan with a strong emphasis on reliance of non-lethal management techniques, but in truth the multiple vague and ambiguous statements regarding when lethal management will and will not be used are dangerous. The devil is in the details and this plan potentially allows hundreds of mute swans to be captured and killed every year – the DEC can use its discretion to kill swans at will.

The DEC seems to finally understand that New Yorkers want mute swans protected not harmed, but their proposal is effectively sleight of hand. The DEC fails to grasp that swan advocates disagree with the entire premise of their plan. Despite DEC’s assertions, as a matter of science, mute swans are not an invasive species. Mute swans are a non-native resident established species, adored and admired by millions of NY citizens that pose no threat or danger to New Yorkers. John W. Grandy, PhD for GooseWatch NYC
The Pegasus Foundation
The Pettus Crowe Foundation

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** OHIO – Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators are already banned from
rehabilitating and releasing Mute Swans.

The possession of captive Mute Swans is regulated by Federal permit (50 CFR 21.25).
State regulations should be developed to prevent People from releasing Mute Swans into the wild and to prohibit the sale, trade, barter, and importation of Mute Swans, or their Eggs, in Ohio.

Implement control measures to reduce Mute Swan numbers in Ohio.
Policy 41 (Invasive Non-native Free-ranging Terrestrial Vertebrate Policy) already directs the Division to humanely dispatch Mute Swans, using the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 Guidelines for Euthanasia, on Division-owned or managed properties.

Methods to control Mute Swan populations should include Egg addling, shooting (preferably head shots with shotguns and use of metro barrels and sub-sonic ammunition in urban/suburban areas), and live-capture/euthanasia.

OHIO SWAN MANAGEMENT PLAN
There are Numerous Website with Current Information.

OHIO encourage Private Landowners who chose to have Mute Swans to keep them controlled. The ways to control them is to only purchase one Swan or two of the same sex, and keep their wings clipped or pinioned. This will help keep the Swans on the owner’s property.

Swan Owners can also addle the Eggs so Cygnets do not Hatch.

If the Cygnets are allowed to hatch out, their wings need to be clipped or pinioned so they can not leave the owner’s property.

DOW will discourage ownership of Male/Female Pairs through public education/outreach and will encourage pinioning of one wing of captive Mute Swans.

A Petition to help stop the remaining Mute Swan in OHIO from being Killed.
The Mute Swans have NO Legal Voice.. and No Animal Rights Groups have been able to Stop this Senseless Action to Eradicated them.
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/851/699/934/demand-an-end-to-the-slaughter-of -mute-swans-now/?taf_id=16074087&cid=fb_na

Save Our Swans On Portage Lakes (Ohio):
Stop the slaughter of Mute Swans on our local Lakes

Very early one morning, on Lake Logan, Ohio, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), covertly slaughtered the entire population of Mute Swans on that lake. ODNR policy is committed to the total extermination of the Mute Swan in Ohio. The primary reason given for the carnage was the Mute Swan interferes with the “reintroduction” of the Trumpeter Swan to Ohio. The author firmly believes ODNR is badly mistaken in considering the Trumpeter Swan an Ohio native species. Most evidence seems to show the Trumpeter Swan has never nested in Ohio since before the European Settlers arrived on the scene more than four or five-hundred years ago, if ever at all. A few fossilized bones and unreliable anecdotal evidence is all that is available to justify these killings. The author hopes this book will help to open up some dialogue and stop the extermination of the Mute Swan in Ohio and in many other states where this is also happening.

Community Upset ODNR Killed Swans at Lake Logan
by Elizabeth FauglFriday, September 11th 2015

LOGAN (James Jackson) — People living by a local lake are furious tonight, saying wildlife officials are killing swans in the area. It happened at Lake Logan, in Hocking County.

Evelyn Knapp looks out of her window everyday for swans on the lake. But, the only place she gets a glimpse recently is in the form of the flower pots, made to look like the birds, by her front door. “You ain’t seen them lately or as many anymore because they are gone,” Knapp said.

Officials with Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources say they’ve recently killed swans on the lake. It’s part of their Swan Management Plan, getting rid of mute swans. They’re not from North America and compete for resources with trumpeter swans, which are threatened in Ohio.

“I think they should leave the population alone. It’s nature. It’s like the deer and everything else,” Knapp said.

Nathan Gerken owns two marinas on the lake. “I think it’s really sad day to have the swans off the lake. Many of the tourists come from all over the world in order to see the wildlife including the swans,” Gerken said.

But, wildlife officials want tourists and locals to understand, it’s also a matter of survival. Mute swans are territorial and fight the trumpeter swans for nesting.

ODNR says mute swans also impact fish, plants and vegetation that other birds feed on.
*******************************************************
** VIRGINIA – In 2012 Ownership of Mute Swans is Prohibited
Migratory Game Birds (Captive-Bred and Raised).
“Mute Swans (Cygnus Olor), will not be permitted for Possession,
Propagation, Purchase or Sale. ” No New Permits will be Issued.

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries 2012
Reading through the Mute Swan Management Plan of the Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries VDGIF… Posted Nov. 2012 …
I felt all the Fear again for the Helpless Mute Swans.
The Virginia Regulations are the most Strict of any that I have read so far..
*******************************************************
** WEST VIRGINIA – Ownership Prohibited

Nothing Posted on WVDNR WebSite.
In 2015 I Spoke with The WaterFowl Management.

WVDNR Mike Peters, Waterfowl Biologist. Said,,,,, (Sept. 2016)
He needs to sent a Memo to his various Agents. They do have some very brief information buried in their WebSite Search.

But it is very Hard to Decipher. WV does not want Mute Swans brought into their State. Mike said, he will write the Policy so it is easier to find and understand.

*******************************************************
The States Listed above border Pennsylvania.
*******************************************************
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
*******************************************************
MUTE SWAN POLICIES and REGULATION
for the REMAINING U.S. STATES
*******************************************************
** ALABAMA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** ALASKA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** ARIZONA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** ARKANSAS
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** CALIFORNIA
– MUTE SWANs – California Laws and Restrictions.
**************
Restricted Species Laws and Regulations – MANUAL 671 .pdf
Importation, Transportation and Possession of Wild Animals
Please Read Page (8) (c) (N)
Family Anatidae 1 Cygnus olor – Mute Swan (D)
**************
Read the Bottom Line of
Mute Swans California CDFW Policy.pdf
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Mute-Swan
**************
Actions Taken if Found

If you observe this species in California,
please report your sighting to the CDFW Invasive Species Program,
by email to Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov,
or by calling 1(866) 440-9530.
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
1416 Ninth Street, 12th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
1(916) 653-4875

*******************************************************
** COLORADO
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** CONNECTICUT
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission

Graceful Swans? Litchfield County Times
2012 Connecticut Officials
Consider Mute Swans an Invasive Species.
https://www.countytimes.com/articles/2012/10/09/news/doc5074ad46b8dc0901500401.txt

IN 2012 Connecticut is the only State on the East Coast that
does not manage their population of Feral Mute Swan.

*******************************************************
** DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – Washington D.C.
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
I would expect D.C. Regulations will be the same as MDNRs.
*******************************************************
** FLORIDA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission

*******************************************************
** GEORGIA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** HAWAII
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** IDAHO
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** ILLINOIS
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission

KNOX SWAN and DOG, LLC is Located in Illinois
www.canadiangoosecontrol.com
North Barrington, IL 60010 Phone (847) 304-1230

Knox specializes in properties with Canada Goose problems in the Chicagoland area. They use Border Collies and Mute Swans, individually or matched up in different packages, to “chase away” Canada Geese, keeping your lawns and landscapes clean and inviting.

Knox Swan and Dog, LLC also sells Swans and will ship them Nationwide.

*******************************************************
** INDIANA
– As of 2011 In Indiana, Mute Swans are currently protected.
A Permit is required to possess a Live Mute Swan or to kill one.

Live Mute Swans must be pinioned (made flightless) and kept
in an enclosure that prevents their escape into the wild.

On private property and public freshwater lakes, the DNR will
issue free permits to lake associations and landowners to take
adult Mute Swans and/or to destroy nests.

In addition, the DNR is taking measures to control Mute Swans
on State-owned properties.

*******************************************************
** IOWA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** KANSAS
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** LOUISIANA
Before you Acquire Mute Swans call the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Forestry in Louisiana.
They are the Primary Agencies that Regulate Poultry.

– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
September 2016 Louisiana Fish & Wildlife Guidelines are for Mute Swans to be Same-Sex Pairs.

*******************************************************
** MAINE
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** MASSACHUSETTS
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
In 2019, Private Ownership of Mute Swans is Prohibited.

From the Director of the State of Massachusetts
– Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
“It is unlawful to kill or possess Mute Swans in Massachusetts.”

MASSWildLife 2016 MUTE Swans MA Dept. Fish and WildLife.
https://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/waterfowl-faq.html

Q. I am seeing more and more swans in Massachusetts.
Where did these beautiful birds come from?

A. The Swans you are seeing are Mute Swans, and like English Sparrows and Starlings, they are not Native to North America, but an introduced species. Originally brought in from Europe and Asia as Ornamental Waterfowl to grace the Ponds of Long Island Estates, some escaped to the Wild where they became established, spread up and down the Coast and are found in many Inland Waters. Highly aggressive and territorial, there is evidence that they are displacing Native Waterfowl and can be destructive to some aquatic habitats, destroying more vegetation than they actually eat.

Mute Swans are Protected under MA State Regulations and may not be hunted. They are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty as they were placed on a long list of Exotic Bird Species that removed protection under this treaty. MassWildlife can issue permits in certain situations to addle eggs and destroy Mute Swans.

IN 2015 and in March 2019, I Spoke with the Waterfowl Project Leader (508) 389-6321
If you would like to Speak with H. Heusmann call (508) 389-6300
He will Explain their Policy. Massachusetts Fish and WildLife will NO Longer issue

Permits for Mute Swan Ownership.

– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** MICHIGAN
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission

2007
Shooting Mute Swans versus Mute Swans Shooting Blanks

https://www.bootstrap-analysis.com/2007/01/shooting_mute_s.html

2010 Mute Swans: an ecological overview with emphasis on the lower Detroit River.

Michigan Captive Mute Swans 2012
Mute Swans are currently held in Michigan by persons with a Permit to Hold Wildlife in Captivity.
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2012_Mute_Swan_Policy_378701_7.pdf

A Michigan BackYard Mute Swan Rescue.
** HelpOurWaterfowl@gmail.com

Facebook page link :

https://www.facebook.com/H.O.W.HelpOurWaterfowl/?ref=bookmarks

Petition to stop the Mute Swan Killings in Michigan
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-killing-of-mute-swans-in-michigan

PLEASE HELP SAVE MUTE SWANs Every Where..

*******************************************************
** MINNESOTA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** MISSISSIPPI
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** MISSOURI
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** MONTANA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** NEBRASKA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** NEVADA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** NEW HAMPSHIRE
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** NEW MEXICO
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** NORTH CAROLINA AS of JUNE 2018

Mute Swans are a familiar Old World Species seen across the State of North Carolina on Ponds, Residential Lakes, and other Bodies of Water.

These are Feral, non-migratory populations of Mute Swans.
Efforts are being made by NC DNR Wildlife Officials to reduce this population.

Private Property Ownership of Mute Swans is Allowed without any Permit. But, these Privately Owned Mute Swan are to be Pinioned.
And, any Cygnets need to be Pinioned.. NO RELEASE to the Wild.
These Young Swans can be Rehomed or Sold to Private Properties.

A Health Certificate is Requested by the NC Dept. of Agriculture..
if a Mute Swan or Cygnet is brought into North Carolina from another State.
*******************************************************
** NORTH DAKOTA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** OKLAHOMA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** OREGON – Importation and New Ownership Prohibited

2010 In Oregon, Mute Swans are classified as a
“Controlled Species by Oregon Administrative Rules
(OAR) 635-056-0070
(2)(a): “The possession, transport, sale, purchase, exchange
and offer to sell, purchase or exchange is allowed provided that
all males are neutered and all individuals are surgically pinioned.

(To “GrandFather” existing Mute Swans.)
If these rules are followed, breeding and thus the production
of Cygnets should never occur.

“Importation of any Mute Swan is prohibited.”

Shooting Mute Swans versus Mute Swans Shooting Blanks
https://www.bootstrap-analysis.com/2007/01/shooting_mute_s.html

From refueform.com
Any White Swan with an Orange Culmen in the wild here in Oregon is fair game according to F&W. They are trying to eliminate all the
Mute Swans that have gotten loose. We were told they are a huge threat to native waterfowl and that they need to be controlled.

Pest Risk Assessment for Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) in Oregon 2010
https://www.oregon.gov/oisc/docs/pdf/ra_muteswan.pdf
*******************************************************
** RHODE ISLAND
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission

April 2019, I Spoke with a Rhode Island Resident.
They had a Nesting Pair of Mute Swans on their Private Property.
Rhode Island Department Of Environmental Management wanted to Destroy these Wild Mute Swans.
The Easiest time to Locate Swans is when they are Nesting.

The Property Owners Protested. They Called their Local Police Department.
As Long as the Swans were on Private Property above the Mean Average High Water Mark, the RI DEM would need Permission from the Property Owners to Removed these Swans.

Sadly, this will only Delay the Destruction of these Swans.
Soon after their Cygnets Hatch, the Swans will take their Tiny Cygnets to the Waterway.Then the Entire Swan Family will be Vulnerable to the DEM Agents who will be Waiting for them.
*******************************************************
** SOUTH CAROLINA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** SOUTH DAKOTA
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** TENNESSEE
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
5107 Edmondson Pike Ellington Agricultural Center
Nashville, TN 37211 ( 615 ) 781-6500 Ask.TWRA@tn.gov

I Called September 2024…
Mute Swans are NOT Listed as a Restricted Species.
NO Permit is Needed to Properly Own Mute Swans..
It is ILLEGAL to Hunt any Species of Swan in Tennessee.
*******************************************************
** TEXAS – There are so few Mute Swans in Texas.
2016 The Texas Game Commission currently has no
Regulation/Restrictions.

*******************************************************
** UTAH
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** VERMONT
– Prohibits the Importation and Sale of Mute Swans.
Requires that all Captive Mute Swans be pinioned,
sterilized (THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE) and marked for identification.

In 1997, Vermont established a policy for total removal
of all Mute Swans from the State.

2007
Shooting Mute Swans versus Mute Swans Shooting Blanks
https://www.bootstrap-analysis.com/2007/01/shooting_mute_s.html
*******************************************************
** WASHINGTON State – Ownership Prohibited
*******************************************************
** WISCONSIN
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
** WYOMING
– Contact State GAME & FISH-WILDLIFE Commission
*******************************************************
The Atlantic Flyway Council and the Hunting Lobby…
are the main driving forces against the Mute Swans.

In Maryland, the MDNR removed close to 5,000 Feral Mute Swans.
All those helpless Swans… destroyed.

There is a Program called “The Silent Taking.”
Remove Mute Swans alive and destroy the Swans out of sight
of the Public.

There are Accounts all over the Country of State DNR-Game Commissions removing from State owned WaterWays Mute Swans
that were Loved and Enjoyed by the Public. Without Warning.

OHIO DNR Shoot the Mute Swans on this Lake.
NO Warning to the Folks that live there.

Community Upset ODNR Killed Swans at Lake Logan
by Elizabeth FauglFriday, September 11th 2015

LOGAN (James Jackson) — People living by a local lake are furious tonight, saying wildlife officials are killing swans in the area. It happened at Lake Logan, in Hocking County.

“I think they should leave the population alone. It’s nature. It’s like the deer and everything else,” Knapp said.

But, wildlife officials want tourists and locals to understand, it’s also a matter of survival. Mute swans are territorial and fight the trumpeter swans for nesting.

ODNR says mute swans also impact fish, plants and vegetation that other birds feed on.

There is a GREAT Deal of Information on the Internet..

In PA, any Mute Swan/Cygnet found on Public Land or Public Waterways.. can be destroyed by anyone – anytime.

Several Swans we Loved were Shot by Hunters from Maryland,
who drove up to Harrisburg to shoot our Feral PA Mute Swans.

We do our best to Find Homes for all Mute Swans that are Rescued.
I would LOVE to share Mute Swans with everyone – everywhere.
Sadly, this is not Possible.

*******************************************************
If your State will not allow you
to Legally have Mute Swans,
and you still want to have Swans, consider Trumpeter Swans.

If you do consider the Trumpeter Swans… They are Native and Welcome in most States. They will help you with the Canadian Geese. Be sure yours are Pinioned and that they have some Open Water areas in the Winter.

OR the Delightful Black Australian Swans. They are Fun.

**********************************************************
************* ATLANTIC FLYWAY COUNCIL **************

The Atlantic Flyway Council is composed of 17 East Coast US States
**the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia;
**the Canadian territory of Nunavut and provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec;
**plus the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Atlantic Flyway Council contains representatives
(usually administrators) from all the agencies that have
management responsibility for migratory bird resources in the Flyway.

The Council determines actions required for sound migratory game bird management and makes recommendations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

ATLANTIC FLYWAY MUTE SWAN MANAGEMENT PLAN
July 2015 https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/AFC_mute_swan_plan1_364878_7.pdf

NORTH AMERICAN MIGRATION FLYWAYS
*******************************************************
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*******************************************************

This Information is a Work in Progress…..
As I learn more I will add to this information..
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Compiled by (C) L.M.Sweger March 2016
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Feral Mute Swans – Rescue – Rehabilitation

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Feral Mute Swans - Rescue - Rehabilitation - (Comments Off)

Feral Mute Swans – Rescue – Rehabilitation

Federal and State Information

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Federal and State Information - (Comments Off)

Federal and State Information

This Page will be Developed when Time Allows.

Detail History of How Mute Swans Lost their Federal Protection

January 20th, 2015 | Posted by LadyNerkle1 in Detail History of How Mute Swans Lost their Federal Protection - (Comments Off)

If you are Wondering WHY?? are the Mute Swans being Destroyed
all over the United States. You will not need to Look Very Hard
to find a Tremendous Amount of Information on the Internet.

It is HARD to Believe this is Really Happening.

Detail History of How Mute Swans
Lost their Federal Protection

SUMMARY OF THE MUTE SWAN’s
Removal from the MBTA
7/15/05 Source Arlene Steinberg
Information Attributed to Kathryn Burton
CAMPAIGN to STOP Swan KILLING !!!!
FROM a WebSite: SaveOurSwans.com
Which is no Longer Active.
Occasional I do Find this OnLine.

Do a Search for “Save Our Swans” or “Stop Killing Swans”
You will Find a Great Deal of Information..
About the Tragic Plight of the Mute Swans in the United States.

THERE are Active Attempts being made to STOP the Killing of the Mute Swans.
It is NOT Happening Fast Enough.

This Video is Haunting..
TO SAVE A SWAN – Shirley Bolin Regal Swan Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gk7473LJVo

URGENT! Campaign to Stop Swan Killing
http://animom.tripod.com/swans/swans.html

DETAILED BACKGROUND ( from 2005 ) Save Our Swans
A Little History Since 1916, the U.S. has signed four international treaties
– with Canada, Mexico, Russia, and Japan – to protect migratory birds
which move between countries.

Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( MBTA ) in 1918,
a major aspect of our conservation law, to implement and enforce
the provisions of these international treaties.
This bill gave federal protection to migratory birds that passed through the United States.

Nowhere in the four migratory bird treaties has there been any distinction
between “native” and “non-native” species. To the contrary, these treaties
are specifically intended to protect birds which move between countries.

The new “reform” legislation undermines the very purpose of the
migratory bird treaties – to protect birds not just in “native” countries,
but across the full range of their ancient migratory routes.

The MBTA, which has worked well for nine decades, already includes
provisions for dealing with birds which may harm agriculture
or the environment.

But because federal and state wildlife officials couldn’t prove mute swans
were causing any damage, pro-hunting politicians found a clever way
around the MBTA: they rewrote the law.

Late in ( Dec 2004 ), the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act was quietly slipped
into a 2005 omnibus spending package, buried in 3,600 pages of language.
No one saw it.

It received no public hearing, no public discussion, and no public debate.
It was backroom political dealing at its worst, and a congressional committee
passed it.

The president ( George Bush ) signed it into law in December 2004.

This secret rider, the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act,
introduced by U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest ( R-MD )
and U.S. Senator George Voinovich ( R-OH ) removes federal protections
for mute swans and dozens of other bird species.

The criteria for removing protections will now be based on a bird’s ancestry,
and any species declared to be “non-native” to the United States
would no longer be safe.

From Beauty to Beast

The mute swan is a large, all-white bird, recognized by its orange bill
with black at its base, common in Europe and Asia without any problems
for thousands of years.

The birds grace many lakes and bays in the United States,
primarily on the east coast. Nobody knows exactly when or how the swans
first came to America; however, S. Dillon Ripley, who headed the Smithsonian
and the Birding Department at Yale University, has stated they have been here
since Colonial days.

Some people are working on proving that they may have migrated with
other swan species from the Russia/Siberia coast across the Bering Straights,
just as man did, and at the same time.

There are 9500 year-old fossils of mute swans found in Oregon
and older ones found in Arizona and Idaho. If this can be proved,
it might help win back the birds’ federal protection.

Mute swans can still be found in Russia/Siberia/Kamchatka,
a short swan flight from Alaska.

The beautiful birds stand squarely in the center of controversy,
as state and federal wildlife officials and some environmental
organizations have been eager to blame mute swans for being aggressive,
pushing out other waterfowl, and even destroying submerged
aquatic vegetation ( SAV ) in sensitive areas such as the Chesapeake Bay.

They never mention that the SAVs had a worldwide die off in the 1930s,
including our east coast, and the enormous pollution that flows into
the very shallow Chesapeake Bay every single day from chicken and pig farms,
paper companies and unstoppable development on the shorelines has played
a major role in the reason why those grasses are only now returning.

In the northeast, the grasses had returned by the 1970s everywhere
but in Maryland, even though at the time the largest concentration
of mute swans was in Long Island Sound, which had already recovered.
( Maryland has a particular hunting agenda for the swans and
is therefore the most vociferous about their destruction.)

The evidence against the swans is flimsy and completely unscientific.
Swans can be aggressive during nesting season, but so are many other
animals and birds – this is natural behavior.

Wildlife agencies’ own studies indicate that the small population of
mute swans – only 3,600 in Maryland and 14,000 in the entire Atlantic Flyway
( 17 Atlantic coastal states the birds fly through in their migration )
of the United States and Canada – is not causing any real damage.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the two leading threats
to the bay’s crucial underwater grasses are agricultural waste run-off from
industrial chicken processing plants ( nitrogen ) and sewage treatment plants.

Mute swans probably wouldn’t make a list of the top fifty threats.
But the big industrial chicken producers pull out all the lobbying stops
to defeat any meaningful attempts to control agricultural waste.
And no one wants to appropriate the money to upgrade sewage treatment capacity.

It’s much easier for public officials to scapegoat the swans than to grapple
with complex environmental problems. Even in Maryland, where the controversy
has been most heated, the state’s Department of Natural Resources ( DNR )
has repeatedly explained that mute swans have only a “negligible” impact
on the Chesapeake Bay, that “there is no evidence to suggest that mute swans
are causing any impact to agriculture in Maryland,” that the birds “
are not the primary cause of the decline of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay,”
and that, in fact, the “decline of SAV has been attributed primarily to elevated
levels of nutrients and suspended sediments.”

Point in fact: the Chesapeake Bay has never met
the minimum requirements for the Clean Water Act.

In an ironic footnote to the mute swan saga, the federal and state partnership
Chesapeake Bay Program recently released a report revealing
the startling news that the upper bay’s underwater grasses have
more than doubled from 2003 to 2004. Which if anything, proves
that the swans have a beneficial impact and not a negative one.
However, they are certainly not promoting this information,
preferring to vilify the swans to accomplish their own ends.

Origin of the Species?
The “Reform Act” targets not only mute swans, but more than 100 bird species
-including certain species of storks, pelicans, cardinals, cranes, and orioles-which,
according to the new law are not “entirely the result of natural biological
or ecological conditions.”

But who decides which species meet that arbitrary definition?
That responsibility rests solely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

And how do those USFWS decision-makers deal with murky circumstances
such as, say, a species that migrates from its native habitat because
of environmental changes? Are those birds now considered non-native
in their new habitat?

They have already admitted that the mute swans migrate through
the Great Lakes area into the United States. Isn’t that the exact definition
of what the new bill stated? Although the swans were the intended
immediate target of the “Reform” act, other birds will suffer as well.
Some of the species targeted to lose their protection are even considered
imperiled under other international agreements such as
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ).

Species such as the Nicobar pigeon and the Luzon bleeding-heart
need global cooperation to survive. Bird species protected in other range states
under their domestic laws could be killed when traveling through
the United States, undermining diligent efforts abroad to protect
these same species at other times of the year.

Sadly, so-called environmental organizations that should have been
on the swan’ side helped the hunters undermine it.

Environmental groups such as the American Bird Conservancy,
National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy,
and World Wildlife Fund should have rallied to the birds’ defense,
but they are little more today than thinly-veiled hunting groups themselves
( The Audubon Society is having a huge internal battle over just this
fundamental philosophical difference.).

So they joined the NRA, Safari Club International, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance,
and Archery Trade Association in the effort to allow
the wholesale slaughter of mute swans.

This is disastrous environmental mismanagement,
an outrageous political travesty, and abominable and needless potential
destruction of one of the most beautiful animals on this planet,
solely to fit the goals of a diminishing but well-financed hunting lobby
and the federal and state agencies that rely on the sales of hunting licenses to exist.

Click to Enlarge Images

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These Videos Grab my Emotions..
Hard to Watch knowing what is happening to the Mute Swans.
I LOVE Spending Time with Mute Swans.
One Day this may be all we have – The YouTube Videos
******************
Adele Swans Rolling In The Deep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKldBy2Pd4M
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Swan Swimming perfect reflection in tranquil serene Peaceful Pond
Toronto Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1NkmWENsB4
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The Life of Swans by Paul Keene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXxIA_WoI4
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The Regal Swan Fountation – Donations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9I39ZCIUjE
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Information Organized in 2015 by Linda M.Sweger
– PA SwanLover Linda UpDated July 2026
********************

An Article by Swan Advocate, Sheila A. Bolin, M.S. CEO
The Regal Swan® Foundation, Inc. PMB 137
7862 West Irlo Bronson Highway Kissimmee, FL 34747
( 407 ) 931-6838 www.theregalswan.com

Salient Points Regarding Mute Swans in U.S.

There has never been an environmental impact assessment of Mute Swans in the U.S.
Most research cited by state and federal wildlife officials is shoddy or non-existent.
Actual valid reliable research which shows that Mute Swans are no more aggressive
than any other species, are not detrimental to the environment and increase biodiversity
is deliberately ignored by wildlife officials

The lack of research regarding Mute Swans was admitted by U.S. state
and federal wildlife officials at the 2014 International Swan Symposium.
Wildlife officials specifically stated that there was no research
when the killing program began under the radar from politicians,
the media and taxpayers.

Yet, this same shoddy or non-existent research is passed from state to state
and misrepresented to U.S. taxpayers. International swan and wetland
habitat specialists at the symposium disputed the negative claims
by U.S. Wildlife officials regarding Mute Swans, their aggressiveness
and their detriment to the environment.

Fact: The disputed evidence was ignored
by U.S. state and federal wildlife officials.

Current research shows that Mute Swans feeding helps other species
such as dabbling ducks and other waterfowl that cannot reach
below the surface to feed.

There has never been any collaborated count of Mute Swans in the U.S.,
yet state and federal wildlife officials misrepresent numbers to the U.S. taxpayer.

Mute Swans are a ***Sentinel Species which directly disputes U.S. state and federal
wildlife officials claims that Mute Swans detrimental to the environment.

FACT: Mute Swans act as a ***Sentinel species in that they alert scientists
to the presence of high levels of heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury, etc.,
and harmful microorganisms. Countries such as Sweden, mandate
that scientists immediately test the environment if one Mute Swan dies in an area.

Mute Swans are migratory and was so stated by U.S. Wildlife officials
in a 2004 Federal District Court.

Scientists are now re-evaluating the claim that Mute Swans are not native
to North America as ancestral Mute Swan fossils have been found in the U.S.

In 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( MBTA ) was established to protect
Migratory Birds in Canada, U.S. and Mexico.
Later, Russia and Japan joined the Treaty.

A Federal Court ruling in 2004, specifically stated that Migratory Birds
were protected regardless of native status and Mute Swans were thus
protected and could not be killed or hunted unless
a National Environmental Policy Act Assessment ( NEPA ) was conducted.
To this date, no such environmental assessment has ever been conducted
by the U.S. regarding Mute Swans.

In 2004, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was supposedly reformed.
However, this illegal change to the Treaty was never ratified,
meaning that the Reform Act does not exist. U.S. state and federal
wildlife officials have misled the U.S. taxpayer to believe that they are
killing Mute Swans and other protected birds under the Treaty legally.

In fact, this bogus law has cost taxpayers billions of dollars since 2004.
The U.S. government by not enforcing the MBTA under the original 1918
signing and the 1992 change which was legally ratified is in violation
of an international treaty.

In 1992, President Bill Clinton signed with the other member countries
a change to the MBTA which stated that NO SWANS could be hunted
except Tundra Swans by indigenous people of Alaska.

This signage of the MBTA change by all members of the Treaty ratified
the new wording so that only Tundra Swans were to be hunted by
indigenous people of Alaska.

This means that since the 2004 Reform Act was not ratified
( signed by the other member countries ), the law does not exist
and anyone ( state or federal wildlife officials, the general public )
cannot legally hunt any swan species in the U.S.
To do so, is in direct violation of the international treaty.

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The Regal Swan Foundation, Inc. October 26, 2017
“THIS BOGUS LAW IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FRAUDS
EVER PERPETRATED ON THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER,”

Sheila A. Bolin, CEO, The Regal Swan Foundation, Inc.
Regal Swan® Foundation.

Discovers United States Violating 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act:
Federal, State & Local Agencies Have Enforced an Unconstitutional
& Illegal Law, Killing Thousands of Mute Swans Nationwide
at Taxpayers’ Expense.

After extensive research, The Regal Swan® Foundation, Inc.,
and its legal team discovered that the U.S. has been violating
the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( MBTA ) since 2004,
using an unconstitutional and illegal law titled,
“The Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004.”

The Interior Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services,
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as state
and local wildlife agencies, individuals, private companies
and special interest groups, some of whom receive
government grants, have been using this bogus Reform Act
to authorize and circumvent the original MBTA Treaty.

By enacting this fraudulent law, hundreds of thousands
of Mute Swans have been killed nationwide,
using taxpayers’ money to fund this illegal killing program.
“This bogus law is one of the largest frauds ever perpetuated
on the American taxpayer,” explains Sheila A. Bolin, CEO,
of The Regal Swan® Foundation, Inc.

Under the auspices of the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004,
U.S. Wildlife officials and unscrupulous politicians snuck a bill
through Congress under an omnibus appropriations bill
thereby reforming the original Treaty and enacting it into law.

This is highly unconstitutional as a Treaty is a stand-alone
international law instrument, that must be amended and
ratified through the Ratification Executive Committee.

According to Holland vs. Missouri, 252 U.S. 416 ( 1920 ),
the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the MBTA.
Noting that the treaties clause of the Constitution
( Article VI, clause 2 ), sometimes known as the “supremacy clause,”
once a treaty is ratified, it becomes the “Supreme law of the land.”
Meaning that no federal, state or local agencies or governments
may override a Treaty once it has been ratified.

Thus, the MBTA of 1918 was ruled constitutional and
was to be enforced by all federal, state and local agencies.

In another court case, Hill vs. Norton, 275 F.3d ( D.C. Cir. 2001 ),
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services was required to recognize
that Mute Swans had, in fact, been protected under the original
MBTA all along, as a member of the Anatidae family and migratory.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, even admitted
at that time, that Mute Swans were migratory.

Under the Reform Act of 2004, not only was the bill originally
sent through the House of Representatives, which is highly
unconstitutional, bills regarding treaties can only go through
the Senate, the reform bill, which became law,
was never ratified by the President,
or the other four countries that belong to the Treaty,
to-wit: Canada, Mexico, Japan and Russia.

Using an underhanded ploy to get the bill signed into law,
the bill came out of the Environment and Public Works
Committee of Congress.

Under the treaty process, a bill must come from
the Foreign Relations Committee in the U.S. Senate.
The Reform Act bill was buried in the appropriations bill
and set into law, at taxpayers’ expense.

As such, the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004
violates the Treaty, the treaty process and international law
governing treaties, contracts and agreements.
Since the Reform Act was never ratified, at this moment,
the Act is unlawful, unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Therefore, any entity or person involved in this taxpayer
funded fraud can be held both criminally and civilly liable
for their participation under international law.

In addition, any entity or individual may also be held
civilly liable if class-action lawsuits are brought forth
by taxpayers for restitution of the damage done
while violating both the Treaty and international law.

Under the Obama administration, the Interior Department
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, with the assistance
of the Department of Agriculture, began a campaign
to rid the Mute Swans from across the U.S., using
an arbitrary and capricious method to convince taxpayers
that this swan species was detrimental to the environment.

Current, reliable scientific research as well as international
swan and wetland habitat specialists have disputed
the misrepresentation of Mute Swans by U.S. wildlife officials.

These U.S. agencies and individuals continue to cite
non-existent environmental assessments.

National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ),
assessments mandated by a Federal Court in 2004
have never been conducted in the U.S.

These same agencies have introduced Trumpeter Swans
into areas that the swans never inhabited paving the way
to develop a trophy waterfowl hunting program.
The entire time that the Trumpeter Swan program
has been in existence, federal, state and local wildlife officials
assured the taxpayers that these birds would never be hunted.

Last week, federal and state officials stated that the birds
should be allowed to be hunted because hunters could not
distinguish between Trumpeter and Tundra swans.

Tundra swans are also protected under the original Treaty.
U.S. wildlife agencies and officials have allowed and encouraged
hunting across the U.S. of Tundra Swans.

Additionally, the last ratification of the MBTA was in 1992
under President Bill Clinton and specifically stated that
all swan species were protected, and not to be hunted
except Tundra Swans.

The 1992 ratification allowed Tundra Swans to only
be hunted by indigenous people in Alaska.

The 2004 Reform Act was enacted during
President George W. Bush’s presidency.

As President Bush was being lobbied to change
the original MBTA Treaty to allow the killing of Mute Swans,
President Bush stated that he was not going to sign
this bill for ratification.

Therefore, under international law, the U.S. must immediately
cease and desist the killing of all swan species in the U.S.