Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan Dec 30, 2025

Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan

In Japan"s colder months, there"s a morning moment when stillness breaks—not with wind or footsteps, but with a bright, rolling call that sweeps across the water. Whooper swans have touched down. One loud whoop—and winter suddenly feels awake. These birds migrate from Siberia and the Russian Far East, choosing Japan as their seasonal home because its lakes offer what long-distance travelers crave: open water, steady food, and a safe place to rest. One of their favorite destinations is Kotoku Pond in the Kantō region on Japan"s largest island.

© Martin Bailey/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Dec 30, 2018Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
Dec 30, 2019Sky island views
Dec 30, 2020Winter in the Wild West
Dec 30, 2021Westerheversand Lighthouse
Dec 30, 2022White Desert National Park, Egypt
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 24, 2024European Day of Parks
Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jun 7, 2022Haaga Rhododendron Park
Apr 30, 2018Swinging into International Jazz Day
Mar 11, 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Mar 24, 2018Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
Feb 18, 2021A river runs through it
Apr 11, 2023Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
Jun 10, 2023Porto Cathedral, Portugal
Apr 18, 2020National Park Week begins
Aug 14, 2022World Lizard Day
Jul 22, 2023National Hammock Day
Dec 12, 2018The story of the poinsettia
Aug 8, 2022Pantaleu
Feb 25, 2018Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Apr 11, 2022Fiddlehead fern fronds
Nov 9, 2019We heart Berlin
Oct 4, 2022World Space Week
Dec 7, 2021Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Jun 29, 2025International Day of the Tropics
Nov 8, 2019Chapel on the rock
Feb 6, 2019Watch your step
Feb 14, 2023Valentines Day
Apr 5, 2020The frog prince?
Jul 4, 2023Happy Independence Day!
Aug 10, 2023World Lion Day
Nov 7, 2019Paris is photo-ready this week
Nov 10, 2019Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
Oct 13, 2018‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
Dec 9, 2021Glowworm caves in Australia