Summary

Description

Both trumpeter swans Cygnus buccinator and tundra swans Cygnus columbianus breed on the Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge. Current population status of either species on the Refuge is not well known. Aerial and ground surveys were conducted on the Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge during the spring and summer of 1986 to estimate swan abundance and productivity on the Refuge and to provide an index for determining relative abundance of the two species. A description of the study area, methods used, and a discussion of the results is covered. Management recommendations are also included.