306 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



Habits. The Whooper migrates to and from its Arctic haunts in flocks of 

 varying size, and sometimes in pairs, not only at night but during the day, as may 

 easily be learned from its loud notes uttered during flight. It begins to leave its 

 winter quarters in the south in spring, and reaches the Arctic regions about the 

 middle of May, just as the ice in the great rivers is about to break up and the 

 snow to melt from the grounds where it breeds. At first only a few pairs make 

 their appearance, but soon the migration is in full swing, and continues until the 

 early days of June. The migration south in autumn commences soon after the 

 moult is completed ; in fact, whilst it is in progress the birds begin to wander 

 down the great rivers towards their winter quarters, which are reached in October 

 and November. Migrating flocks of this species usually assume the form of a 

 wedge, and fly at an immense elevation. The flight is rapid enough when the 

 bird gets fairly under weigh, and the swish, swish of the long wings beating 

 regularly can be heard for long distances ; the head and neck are stretched out in 

 a straight line. The Whooper spends much of its time on the water, searching 

 round the banks and in the shallows for food. It is nothing near so graceful in 

 its movements as the Mute Swan, and the neck is never so beautifully curved, 

 being almost always held up straight except when the bird is feeding. Like 

 most big birds it is excessively wary and shy, and during its sojourn in our Islands 

 is very careful to keep well in the centre of the pool or lake, or at some distance 

 from shore, when not actually feeding. When disturbed from the water it rises 

 with apparent difficulty, and the long wings beat the surface for some distance as 

 the bird attempts to reach the air. The Whooper feeds a good deal whilst on dry 

 land, and is very fond of swimming round the banks of a deep pool, from time to 

 time plunging the head and neck under water to explore the mud and the roots 

 of the herbage growing at the bottom. The food of this species is principally of 

 a vegetable nature herbs, grasses, weeds, flowers and seeds, roots, stems, buds, 

 and leaves but water insects and mollusks are also eaten. The note of the 

 Whooper once heard can never be forgotten or confused with that of any other 

 British species. It is a short, loud, clear, far-sounding trumpet-blast, uttered 

 several times in succession, and when mellowed by distance sounds far from 

 unpleasant, but at close quarters is ear-splitting and discordant. Nothing in bird 

 life to my mind sounds so inspiring as the distant yet clear calls of migrating 

 Swans, one to the other, as they cross the night sky. 



Nidification. The chief breeding grounds of the Whooper are beyond the 

 Arctic circle on the islands in the deltas of the great rivers that flow into the 

 northern seas, or near the big lakes of the tundras, or the creeks that run some 

 distance inland from the parent stream. The birds pair for life. The nest is 

 usually placed on an island well covered with willow-trees and other dense scrub, 

 or at others amongst the tall rank grass and reeds that fringe the pool. It is a 

 huge pile of coarse grass, sedge, and other herbage built upon the ground, and 



