The REAL Swan Lake: Trumpeter Swans by the Hundreds Taking Flight (HD)

Описание: At a tiny lake in northwestern Washington State, hundreds of wintering trumpeter swans rest every night (between December and early March) and fly out from the lake at dawn to feed in nearby farm fields. This is Shadow Lake at the Bob Heirman Wildlife Preserve in Snohomish County, and these trumpeter swans are part of the Pacific Coast population that breeds during summers in the interior of Alaska and spends winters along the Pacific Coast as far south as Eugene, Oregon.

Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in North America. Unfortunately they were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1600s-1800s. Their long wing feathers were prized as elegant quill pens, and their skins were used to make cosmetic powder puffs.

Today trumpeter swans are protected by law, but they're being poisoned by lead shot. Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting, but it still may be used to hunt upland birds and is also used for target practice. The swans pick up lead shot pellets when they feed in wetlands and in winter farm fields. (Shadow Lake, the swan roost in this video, has been tested and is free of lead contamination.)

Please help protect these lovely, graceful birds by never using lead shot for hunting or for target practice. Use only NONTOXIC shot (such as stainless steel), and ask your friends to do the same. For more information about trumpeter swans, please visit www.trumpeterswansociety.org.

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