Trumpeter swans, the largest of North American waterfowl, have begun showing up on more than a handful of wetlands restored under the program. These once almost-endangered birds are now being raised in captivity by dedicated landowners in a cooperative venture between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the landowners. The PFW program assisted in restoring several of the wetlands used to house the breeding swan pairs that would hopefully nest and rear their young in captivity under the watchful eye of the landowners.

Once fully grown, the young could be released back into the wild to once again fill the air with their trumpeting sound. The unique outcome of the effort has been that trumpeter swans have been spotted on half a dozen additional wetlands that have been restored by the PFW program. ?We expect to see the usual response of waterfowl and shorebirds to these restored wetlands, but the site of trumpeter swans is truly spectacular,? says Joe Slater, the FWS biologist involved in the effort. ?What was once quite rare might someday become commonplace.?