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- Title
Active Trumpeter Swan nest on an active muskrat lodge.
- Authors
MILLER, PAIGE C.; DELEHANTY, DAVID J.
- Abstract
We observed Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) nesting on top of an active muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) lodge, indicating simultaneous breeding uses of a constructed vegetation mound not previously recorded in the literature. Specifically, within the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana, we observed 4 eggs in an actively tended Trumpeter Swan nest, while underneath the swan nest bowl was a muskrat nursery occupied by 3 neonate muskrats. Swans are known to use abandoned muskrat lodges as nest foundations, but not active lodges. Our observations point to a close association between breeding muskrats and Trumpeter Swans in the shallow wetlands of North America and emphasize the benefit of robust muskrat populations for Trumpeter Swan restoration.
- Subjects
MONTANA; NORTH America; TRUMPET players; SWANS; WILDLIFE refuges; RED beds; BIRD nests; PLANTS
- Publication
Western North American Naturalist, 2021, Vol 81, Issue 3, p462
- ISSN
1527-0904
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3398/064.081.0316