An ID Error

Bewick’s Swan

Oops. I thought I’d found a real rarity today at Onuma. This black-billed Swan was one of many Swans at Onuma today. I thought, wow……………….it’s a Trumpeter Swan. I even told some people there about it. And then I came home and double-checked the ID.

Oh no. It’s the North American race of Bewick’s Swan, sometimes called Whistling Swan. Cygnus columbianus columbianus. In my defence, I have no experience of this subspecies.

So if you are one of those Japanese birders I talked to today about the ナキハクチョウ all I can say is sorry I made a mistake. It is a アメリカコハクチョウ. Still interesting but not as interesting as I’d thought.

Oh the shame.

ナキハクチョウ じゃないです!!!

アメリカコハクチョウです

4 thoughts on “An ID Error

  1. Interesting ID error…so how rare/unusual is the sub-species Whistling Swan in Hokkaido? As it seems to be primarily a North American species – but it does turn up regularly in the UK e.g. at Slimbridge WWT, maybe in a mixed flock with Bewicks…

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