Movements of Northern Pintail Ducks and Whooper Swans Marked with Satellite Transmitters in Japan

Whooper Swan Project Description

In the spring of 2008 the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus was detected in Whooper Swans at three locations in Japan.  Northern Pintails often occur in close proximity to Whooper Swans, and we observed that some pintails with satellite transmitters used the same sites where the H5N1 virus was detected in swans.  Because Whooper Swans and Northern Pintails share wetland habitats, they may also share influenza viruses.  To better understand the shared migratory connections between Whooper Swans and Northern Pintails, we marked 17 Whooper Swans with satellite transmitters in Japan in 2009.

Whooper Swan Movements

Click here for a copy of the project proposal

Dr. Norikyuki Yamaguchi (University of Tokyo) prepares to release a Whooper Swan that has been fitted with a satellite transmitter mounted on a plastic neck collar	Capture of Whooper Swans at a flooded rice paddy near Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma (Courtesy of Mr. Ken-Ichi Tokida)
A Whooper Swan at Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma