Behold NYC’s First-Ever Trumpeter Swan
The trumpeter swan in the East River. (Sarah Gonzalez / @idratherbebirdin)
A member of the once-near-extinct species has taken up residence in the East River. But why?
3:01 PM EDT on March 09, 2026
Brooklyn has been graced with the appearance of a swan so rare that experts say there have been no recorded sightings of the bird in New York City—until now.Â
A lone trumpeter swan, one of only two swans native to North America (the orange-billed mute swans we see in our City parks are from Europe), appeared in the East River early last week, shocking local birders who immediately called in to the Wisconsin-based Trumpeter Swan Society to report what they could scarcely believe they were seeing.Â
Give us your email to read the full story
Sign up now for our free newsletters.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
You’ve successfully subscribed to Hell Gate.
Your link has expired.
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.
Success! Your billing info has been updated.
Your billing was not updated.