Trumpeter Swans are big birds. They can weigh over 25 pounds with a wingspan of over six feet. As you might imagine, getting a body this big into the air is not an easy feat. In fact Trumpeters are very tactical about it all. They sometimes need a clear runway on the water of about 100 yards…and once determined, they’ll get in their assigned lanes and lunge forward…running and flapping vigorously, unless those large wings provide enough lift to get them off the water.