Whooper swans in Lake Kussharo, Japan Jan 14, 2024

An elegant creature for a majestic setting. These whooper swans, gliding on the mirror-like surface of Japan"s Lake Kussharo, are close relatives of North America"s trumpeter swans. Named for their loud call, whooper swans are one of the world"s heaviest flying birds, weighing up to around 30 pounds and boasting wingspans of between 7 and 9 feet. Whooper swans are found across Eurasia and are Finland"s national bird, spending their breeding season there before migrating to warmer areas for winter. All that travel doesn"t ruin their relationships—these waterfowl form strong, monogamous pairs that can last for life.

© Darrell Gulin/DanitaDelimont.com

palette

Today in History

Jan 14, 2018Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
Jan 14, 2019An island oasis in the Indian Ocean
Jan 14, 2020Going head-to-head with winter
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jan 14, 2022Road to Sa Calobra, Majorca, Spain
Jan 14, 2023Feast of the Donkey
Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Jan 14, 2026National Take the Stairs Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 25, 2021Autumn comes to the Porcupines
Feb 13, 2024Mardi Gras
Apr 8, 2022Ponta Delgada
Aug 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
May 4, 2024Star Wars Day
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Dec 24, 2019Dashing through the snow
Jan 10, 2022Ski touring in Austria
Oct 26, 2025National Pumpkin Day
Sep 18, 2022World Bamboo Day
Aug 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan
Sep 1, 2020National Mushroom Month
Dec 13, 2024Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
Jan 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska
Apr 24, 2021A garden of prickly delights
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
Jan 23, 2025Sundance Film Festival
Aug 9, 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Dec 3, 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Nov 17, 2019Remembering the Velvet Revolution
Apr 18, 2021In Sicily, history is everywhere
Apr 23, 2018National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
May 17, 2023Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, California
Apr 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings in Canada
Dec 2, 2021Denali National Park
Jan 26, 2019Visiting a Maratha fortress
May 20, 2025World Bee Day
Feb 20, 2023Presidents Day
Oct 1, 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia