Trumpeter swans

• Largest waterfowl in North America. Wingspan, up to 8 feet; weight, 25 to 35 pounds.

• Virtually vanished from Minnesota and continental U.S. by the mid-1900s because of overhunting; feathers were often used in women's fashions.

• Eggs from Alaska were used to establish breeding programs.

• About 3,000 now live in Minnesota. Many spend the winter on open water in the Mississippi River near the Monticello nuclear power plant.