Whooper swans Jan 14, 2024

An elegant creature for a majestic setting. These all-white birds with yellow-and-black bills, gliding on the mirror of Lake Kussharo in Japan, are whooper swans—the Eurasian equivalent to the North American trumpeter swans. Named for their loud "whooping" call, these beauties, with a wingspan between 2 to 3 metres, are one of the world"s heaviest birds that can fly. While whooper swans are Finland"s national bird, they only spend their breeding season there. Those swans, as well as others in various northern areas migrate to warmer, often coastal areas when cold weather sets in. All that travel doesn"t ruin their relationships—these waterfowl form strong, monogamous pairs that can last for life.

© Darrell Gulin/DanitaDelimont.com

palette

Today in History

Paint the sky with colours
Jan 14, 2025Makar Sankranti

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 12, 2025World Dolphin Day
Dec 13, 2024Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
An iridescent view
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
Jun 20, 2025Seljalandsfoss waterfall at sunset, Iceland
Nature at its colorful best
Jan 29, 2025Chinese New Year
Ride the wave
Sep 10, 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
Oct 4, 2024World Space Week begins
May 20, 2025World Bee Day
Jul 14, 2024Shark Awareness Day
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Meet an expert on the dog days of summer
Apr 16, 2025Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Where is this historical bridge?
Jun 16, 2024Happy Fathers Day!
Oct 28, 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
A window to the Pacific
Jun 28, 2025Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising
Feb 14, 2024Vasant Panchmi
Apr 20, 2024Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Apr 20, 2025Easter
Oct 7, 2023Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Nov 29, 2023New York City, USA
Dec 25, 2024Merry Christmas!
Sep 1, 2023Backwaters of Kerala, India
Aug 22, 2024Aerial view of Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Nov 25, 2023Toledo, Spain