The Whooper Swan builds a mighty nest right by the water, preferably in undisturbed wilderness, and the pair often returns to the same site season after season.
Location: in reedbeds and along the shoreline at forest lakes, mire pools and fens, ideally in inaccessible spots far from people.
Construction: a large, mound-shaped nest of reeds and aquatic vegetation that is built up at the water's edge and can become very bulky.
Breeding: the female lays 4–6 large greenish-white eggs that are incubated for 35–40 days, and the family stays together right until the next spring.