The Swan Haven Interpretive Centre presents A Celebration of Swans, from April 1 to 30, ushering in spring with the mass migration of thousands of swans, ducks and geese
“A lot of people associate the festival with the arrival of spring,” said McColl. “We have events for all ages and interest levels.”
One of the surest signs that spring has begun in the Yukon is the presence of swans. With the famed birds returning for the annual migration, the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre is open daily from April 1 to 30, with free entry.
Overlooking McClintock Bay in Marsh Lake, where there is open water that water birds feed and rest on, the interpretive centre is a place to learn about the migration patterns of birds such as swans, ducks and geese, as well as a place to see the creatures up close on the shoreline trail. And you won’t just see them; you’ll hear them, too.
“I actually called a neighbour to Swan Haven and he said he saw a pair of swans arriving on March 9, and he got all excited, and then they left the next day,” said wildlife-viewing specialist Karen McColl, who spoke with What’s Up Yukon towards the end of March. “But a day or two ago, another pair arrived. There’s not a ton of open water there yet and it seems a little bit late, compared to usual, in terms of the ice that’s still there, but hopefully this is the start of the arrival now.”
A Celebration of Swans runs from April 1 to 30 and, as McColl explained, the time frame generally captures the majority of the bird migration and best sighting results. “The peaks vary,” she said. “The average peak is now right smack-dab in the middle of April in terms of when the most swans are at Swan Haven; however, they have peaked at the beginning of April and they have peaked at the beginning of May, over the last twenty-odd years.”
In 2019, Swan Haven saw a record number of swans, with over 3,000 counted in a day. McColl said that most years see over 1,000 birds for a period of time at the migration peak. “At the beginning, it may be just a few dozen, but then it does get up to a thousand or two thousand.”
McColl said that last year didn’t have a huge peak but the number of swans sat steady, around 1,800, for much of the season. It’s difficult to predict how many swans will make it up to the Yukon and when the peak period will be, but some specialists in Washington and California have tagged some birds to get better estimates, according to McColl.
“They might have an idea,” she said, “but here, we’re very much focused, locally, on our festival.”
Trumpeter swans from the B.C. and Washington areas commonly make it up to the Yukon each spring. The timeline can depend on how late or early spring comes, but with an entire month of events and activities going on at Swan Haven, there is always something to experience.
“A lot of people associate the festival with the arrival of spring,” said McColl. “We have events for all ages and interest levels.”
The festival kicked off on April 1 with a screening of Return of the Trumpeters, a one-hour film about the rescue of the trumpeter swans from the brink of extinction. The following day, expert birder and photographer Jukka Jantunen shared a presentation on identification and viewing tips for common spring birds seen at Swan Haven and around the Southern Lakes.
“That’s exciting for people to kind of learn what the main birds are — not learning all of them because there are so many of them, but figuring out a few of them,” said McColl. “Then you go out to Swan Haven and you actually have a chance to identify them, so connecting those dots is pretty cool.”
Last year’s astronomy night, in conjunction with the Yukon Astronomical Society (YAS), proved to be a success and will be presented again this year on April 4. A Starry Night consists of an interpretive walk, with Yukon Wildlife Viewing staff, followed by an indoor presentation by YAS. Other events through the month include bird-origami workshops by the Japanese Canadian Association of Yukon, Family Weekend Swan Olympics, open studio days with Swan Haven artist-in-residence Rhoda Merkel, and more.
New this year is a self-guided audio tour called A Walk with the Swans. It can be accessed through a QR code at the centre, and people can walk alone and listen to lectures at each station on their phones.
“Outside of the hours that the interpretive centre is open, the grounds always remain open,” said McColl. “This is something that, if they can’t get inside to talk to one of our interpreters, people can do this tour and learn more while they are out there.”
McColl encourages people to check out the evening events, as there is more to be seen when the sun starts to set. “A lot come out to Swan Haven during the day, which is great. It’s beautiful out there,” she said, “but in the evening, when the sun is a bit lower, it is a really special time to be out there. The light is just a bit better — it’s not so glary — it’s just that pretty time of day.”
As a wildlife-viewing specialist, McColl enjoys taking people out into the wilderness to teach them about the animals on the land, but also is heavily involved in event organization. McColl said it’s nice to see Swan Haven visits become tradition for families and that the people who would go to see the birds and take part in the events, as kids, are now grown up and are bringing their kids. She hopes seeing the swans in the air from town will lure some people out to view them up close at the interpretive centre.
“It’s easy to take it for granted because it happens every year and it’s this regular thing, but to have a congregation of that many swans in such a scenic location is really a special thing to get to experience,” she said. “When the bird experts get excited, you know it’s a big deal.”
As part of the Wildlife Viewing Program with the Department of Environment, McColl and her team organize A Celebration of Swans, as well as other wildlife-focused events throughout the year, with a focus on the summertime.
“We do elk, and we talk about plants and we talk about all sorts of things with hikes, lectures and guided walks,” she said. “That’s our Wild Discoveries program in the summer.”
More information on A Celebration of Swans and a schedule of events and activities can be found at yukon.ca/en/outdoor-recreation-and-wildlife/wildlife-viewing/celebration-swans-2025.
