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

A delightful day for donkeys
Jan. 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Jan. 14, 2026Take the Stairs Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Stretching out in the Everglades
Festival fever
Winter wonderland for your wallet
Jun. 6, 202581st anniversary of D-Day
A grove glows green
Oct. 19, 2024International Archaeology Day
Jul. 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Dec. 31, 2024New Years Eve in Ottawa
Little Island, Big Sea
Mar. 26, 2025Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
Nov. 28, 2024Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, British Columbia
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
Winter at Valley Forge
Sep. 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Whats blooming so brightly?
Aug. 21, 2025Wheatear, Peak District National Park, England
Feb. 26, 2025Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
Nov. 17, 2025Red fox
Jul. 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
May 16, 2024International Day of Light
Oct. 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
More of a moustache than a beard?
Aug. 25, 2024Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Apr. 28, 2024El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
Aug. 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Books are mans best friend
Aug. 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Oct. 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
Apr. 27, 2025Coastal redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
Apr. 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites