Whooper swans Jan 14, 2024

An elegant creature for a majestic setting. These all-white birds with yellow-and-black bills, gliding on the mirror of Lake Kussharo in Japan, are whooper swans—the Eurasian equivalent to the North American trumpeter swans. Named for their loud "whooping" call, these beauties, with a wingspan between 2 to 3 metres, are one of the world"s heaviest birds that are able to fly. While whooper swans are Finland"s national bird, they only spend their breeding season there. Those swans, as well as others in various northern areas migrate to warmer, often coastal areas when cold weather sets in. All that travel doesn"t ruin their relationships—these waterfowl form strong, monogamous pairs that can last for life.

© Darrell Gulin/DanitaDelimont.com

palette

Today in History

Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Jan 14, 2026Fortress of Palamidi, Nafplio, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
Apr 6, 2026Hirosaki Castle with cherry blossoms, Hirosaki, Japan
Dec 19, 2024Sibiu Christmas Market, Romania
Mar 20, 2024Peveril Castle, Derbyshire, England
Jul 28, 2024Skåne County, Sweden
Apr 23, 2024Library of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Dec 27, 2025Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
Nov 2, 2025Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Apr 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
May 26, 2025Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Mar 26, 2024Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
Oct 12, 2024Wood duck, Quebec, Canada
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Jun 15, 2024Surfer riding a wave in Nazaré, Portugal
Sep 22, 2025Aspen trees, Fishlake National Forest, Utah, United States
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Sep 10, 2024Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon
Mar 12, 2026Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
Feb 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California, USA
Mar 23, 2025Lightning and storm clouds at sunset near Bowman, Nebraska, United States
Jun 21, 2024Reticulated giraffes
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Feb 1, 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
Jul 14, 2025Young blue shark
Jan 6, 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy