Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) aerial surveys were conducted during May and August 1997 on the Copper River Delta and surrounding areas of the Chugach National Forest in southcentral Alaska. The surveys were accomplished through cooperation between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. In May 517 white (adult and subadult) swans and 117 nests were counted. In August 598 white swans and 54 broods were counted. Production was average. Nest success was 0.46, average brood size was 3.2, and young made up 23% of the early fall population. The fall white swan-population was down 5% from 1996 and was 7% below the 22-year average. There are now 41 comparable swan surveys in 22 different years for this area. A continued standardized trumpeter swan survey program is recommended.
