Trumpeter Swans are migratory birds, arriving at their breeding grounds after the ice melts in early spring and leaving for their northern wintering grounds just before the freeze. Trumpeter pairs mate for life and usually choose their nesting territory near where the female was originally hatched. The nest they build in mid-April, on top of muskrat or beaver lodges or other suitable mounds, is 6 ft in diameter. The pen lays a clutch of 5-9 white eggs in late April and early May and sits on the eggs for 33 days while the cob defends the nest. Cygnets (baby swans) hatch in June and fledge at 14 weeks. They spend the rest of the summer preparing for migration with their parents. Perfect habitats for Trumpeters are shallow wetlands 1-3 feet deep in isolated areas far away from human activity.