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:

Dec 14, 2023Christmas Bird Count
Mar 12, 2018It’s Napping Day
Aug 12, 2018Join the parade for World Elephant Day
Aug 23, 2019Harvest time in the Palouse
Jun 11, 2019Installation art turns heads
Jan 17, 2021On the Route of the Waterfalls
Apr 4, 2018Mexican giant cardon cactus
Mar 19, 2024Spring equinox
Oct 31, 2021Happy Halloween!
Jan 25, 2023Burns Night
Jan 13, 2022Tasiilaq, Greenland
Jun 12, 2020Big sky at Big Bend
Jan 8, 2022American bison
Dec 3, 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Jun 17, 2023International Surfing Day
Aug 8, 2025Three Musketeers Falls at Iguazú Falls, Argentina
Feb 17, 2022Flamenco dancers
Mar 26, 2022Spring awakens
Feb 11, 2021It’s showtime for a precious crop
Jan 3, 2019How do ladybugs winter?
Nov 25, 2021Happy Thanksgiving
Jul 13, 2019Batten down the hatches
May 12, 2019The parenting of a piping plover
Feb 28, 2018Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
May 10, 2018Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 2, 2022Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
Dec 24, 2025Christmas Eve
Dec 27, 2020Turning darkness into light
Jan 15, 2023Aura River in Turku, Finland