If you have visited the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during either spring or fall migration, you have most likely seen the swans on the refuge. The vast majority of them are of the tundra swan variety, breeding up north on the Arctic tundra, hence the name.

Occasionally, however, trumpeter swans have been seen on the bird refuge at times.

They are very similar in appearance to the naked eye, but there are a few distinctions which help discern between the two swan species.

I came across a swan on the refuge auto tour route a couple of weeks back and assumed it was of the tundra swan variety since that is by far the most common species that frequents the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great page showing the two swans side by side with some identification help.

After seeing posts on Facebook from some other bird watchers who saw the same bird, my thoughts may be changing, and it might be a trumpeter swan.

It surely lacks the yellow spot just before the eye, but it’s giving a nod to being a trumpeter swan; it has more of a U-shaped area where the bill meets the head, leaning it more towards a tundra swan.

So, I am stumped.

The easiest way to discern that it is an adult tundra swan is the bright yellow spot just in front of the eye.

Not all tundra swans have this, however, thus leading to identification questions among us bird watchers.

What do you think? Tundra swan or trumpeter swan?

I hope it is a trumpeter swan, as that would be a lifer for me on my ongoing bird list I started when I was about 10 or so.

I have to admit I am once again leaning back towards tundra swan, but I am not certain either way and hope others can clarify one way or the other.