Hokkaido, Japan

Beautiful Whooper swan flock flying. A group of seven birds flies into the Kussharo lake in Hokkaido. They keep a remarkable formation in their flight just above the mountains behind them.

copyright Anette Mossbacher, 17 July, 2023

Buy a license or print

This photograph was captured with a Canon EOS-1D X and a lens. The following settings were used:

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Exposure time: 1/2000s
  • ISO: 800
  • Focal Length: 140mm

The original photograph has the following dimensions: 5184 by 3456 pixels (WxH).

Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful Whooper swan flock flying. A group of 7 birds flies into the Kussharo lake in Hokkaido. They keep a remarkable formation in their flight just above the mountains behind them. That flock of white birds balances fantastic against the blue sky, with their wings spread fully. In the wintertime, they come to Hokkaido from the Siberian Arctic. Whooper swans spend most of their time there, but during wintertime, they migrate to Japan and other places.

Whooper Swans Arrive At Lake Kussharo

Arriving at Lake Kussharo, they gather together at free spots on the ice with hot springs. During winter, Lake Kussharo freezes totally. Only the hot springs spots along the lake will be more or less ice-free. Through the hot springs, the sand of some beaches heats up naturally. Lake Kussharo is the sixth-largest lake in Japan and is within the Akan Mashu National Park.

Undoubtedly, Lake Kussharo is a welcome sight for the whooper swans. These beautiful birds need large water areas to swim in. Also, locals feed them with grain. Undoubtedly, the feeding took all their fear of humans away. When spending time there, you will see one whooper swan flock flying in after the other.

It is a process that goes on all day. Always coming in and flying out. Like the red-crowned cranes, whooper swans pair for life. The offspring will stay with them during the whole winter before they go their ways. When a whooper swan flock is flying, they use a variety of signal movements to communicate with each other.

Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus, is of the least concern on the IUCN list.

Explore our wildlife photographs portfolio from Japan or the black and white whooper swan photograph. All our nature photographs are for sale as stock images licenses and photo wall art prints online.

This photograph is available to be purchased as a print. We offer our prints as unmounted fine art prints and framed prints that are ready-to-hang on your wall out of the box. Another option is that it can be licensed for personal or commercial use. Just click the add_shopping_cart icon left-hand side above the photo to select your choice.

For more information about the various types of prints we offer to purchase, please visit our Purchasing a print FAQ page.

Our Photo Licensing FAQ page explains the license types and helps you to choose the right license for your needs.

Before making a purchase, please read our Terms & Conditions page.

1 comment for Whooper Swan Flock Flying

  1. Jacques

    There’s always an odd Whooper swan out.

    • Anette Mossbacher

      True. Thank you, Jacques.

Add a comment