Mail Tribune News - Ashland looks to replace swan with native birds

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Photo by Jim Craven The lone mute swan in Ashland's Lithia Park could grace a new home if a pair of trumpeter swans is found to replace her. Ashland looks to replace swan with native birds ASHLAND -- Finding themselves once more with only a single swan gliding through Lithia Park's lower duck pond, the Parks Commission members have decided to replace the widowed mute swan with a pair of native trumpeter swans. The male mute swan died in December from kidney failure associated with old age, according to officials at Oregon State University who conducted an autopsy. The switch to trumpeter swans was prompted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife because mute swans are not native to Oregon. North America's trumpeter swans have lost habitat in some areas to flocks of mute swans that originated from a few imported from Europe. Two years ago, when the commission was searching for a mate for the now-deceased male, ODFW offered a pair of trumpeter swans to the city. Now parks employees are hoping the offer still stands. The change means the possibility of cygnets mingling among the ducklings of summer. ODFW required the mute swans to be sterilized to prevent them from reproducing. A pair of swans has graced the park since four were first donated to the city by Jesse Winburn in the early 1920s. Two swans now grace the city's official seal. Parks superintendent Steve Gies says that trumpeters closely resemble the mute swan, but don't hold their necks in the classic s-curve of the mute. If a pair of trumpeters is found, Gies says a new home will be found for the widowed mute female. Mail Tribune Copyright �  The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA