Whooper swans in Lake Kussharo, Japan Jan 14, 2024

Whooper swans in Lake Kussharo, Japan

An elegant creature for a majestic setting. These whooper swans, gliding on the mirror-like surface of Japan"s Lake Kussharo, are close relatives of North America"s trumpeter swans. Named for their loud call, whooper swans are one of the world"s heaviest flying birds, weighing up to around 30 pounds and boasting wingspans of between 7 and 9 feet. Whooper swans are found across Eurasia and are Finland"s national bird, spending their breeding season there before migrating to warmer areas for winter. 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, 2018Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
Jan 14, 2019An island oasis in the Indian Ocean
Jan 14, 2020Going head-to-head with winter
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jan 14, 2022Road to Sa Calobra, Majorca, Spain
Jan 14, 2023Feast of the Donkey

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 25, 2021Autumn comes to the Porcupines
Apr 16, 2023Go Fly a Kite Day
Jun 27, 2020Looking for peace on the precipice
Nov 11, 2022Veterans Day
Feb 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, England
Feb 20, 2018Buddha in the roots of a tree, Ayutthaya, Thailand
Dec 27, 2019 Winterpret on ice
Aug 24, 2020Go with the rainbow flow
May 27, 2023Quiver trees in Namibia
Jan 21, 2021The tale of squirrels like Nutkin
May 29, 2019A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
Jan 27, 2023Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba
Mar 1, 2024Womens History Month
Apr 5, 2020The frog prince?
Aug 24, 2023Shark Fin Cove, California
Oct 19, 2021These laurels are hardy
Apr 17, 2018The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
Mar 23, 2022World Meteorological Day
Dec 23, 2019A Festivus for the rest of us
Apr 8, 2022Ponta Delgada
Mar 2, 2023Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
Dec 22, 2019You ve never seen anything like this
Jun 20, 2021Happy Father s Day
Dec 14, 2023Christmas Bird Count
Apr 2, 2018Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
Nov 22, 2020Birds of the Drömling
Nov 4, 2020Caribou on the move
Jan 23, 2023Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
Apr 10, 2018It’s Siblings Day!
Mar 13, 2018Wayag Islands in the Raja Ampat Islands of Indonesia