Whooper swans Jan. 14, 2024

Whooper swans

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

A delightful day for donkeys
Jan. 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan. 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Apr. 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Jun. 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
King of the jungle? Nope
A postcard-perfect landscape
A city so nice, they made it twice
Nov. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Oct. 15, 2023European hedgehog
Jan. 21, 2025Squirrel Appreciation Day
Jul. 22, 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
Fourth rock from the sun
Jul. 11, 2025World Population Day
Feb. 9, 2025Alstrom Point, Lake Powell, Utah, United States
Dec. 23, 2024Celebrating Festivus
Nov. 10, 2024Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
An island made from a vow
Apr. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
Want to hang out?
Jun. 30, 2025Asteroid Day
Apr. 8, 2024Total solar eclipse
Feb. 24, 2025Giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia, Australia
Feb. 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count
Aug. 27, 2025World Lake Day
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
Sep. 28, 2023World Maritime Day
Where the rainbow ends
Dec. 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
This bird is peak beak
You might be a red-necked grebe if…
Dec. 18, 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker