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 the Eurasian whooper swans, also known as the common swan. 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 can 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.
Whooper swans
Today in History
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Tolkien Reading Day
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Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
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Llyn Padarn, Snowdonia, Wales
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Computer Science Week
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Celebrating Pi Day
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Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
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The glass dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy
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Dad on duty
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Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
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Keep practising, little guy
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Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
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Boxing Day
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A day for giving
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Celebrating Pi Day
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World Bee Day
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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Paralympic Games begin in Paris
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Taking the long view
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Black History Month begins
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50 years of the Endangered Species Act
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A beach of many colours
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A time-worn mediaeval marvel
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We’re all smiles for World Hippo Day
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Strong sibling bonds
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Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
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Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
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Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
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World Art Day
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Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
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Great Barrier Reef from above, Queensland, Australia
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

