2016-2017 Federal Duck Stamp Print

"Trumpeter Swans" by Joe Hautman

The 2016–2017 Federal Duck Stamp Contest winning design shows a pair of trumpeter swans flying over a peaceful wetlands scene. Having observed them closely in the field, artist Joe Hautman describes the trumpeter swan as a study in contrast: "Not only the black-on-white appearance, but also the contrast of their mostly silent flight, with the raucous trumpeting call, and the contrast of the lightness with which they seem to float as they are landing, with the power of the wing beats that lift them back into the air." Although the trumpeter swan is no longer hunted, its appearance on the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp highlights the importance of duck stamp dollars for all migratory species and the many other birds and animals that benefit from the conservation of habitat across America.

2016 federal duck stamp - trumpeter swans

© 2016 Joseph Hautman  

The 2016–2017 Federal Duck Stamp Prints are offset lithographic reproductions of the winning painting printed on high-quality, acid-free paper with archival fade resistant inks. Each print is numbered and personally signed by the artist. This portrait of the magnificent trumpeter swan is published in four different editions:

The Collector's Edition - $189    Medallion Edition - $349   

Remarqued Editions:  Executive - $1,049   and President's - $1,295


The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)
 The trumpeter swan is the largest North American migratory waterfowl. They were once common in wetlands across a broad region of the country from Illinois northwest to Alaska, but the large, low flying birds were easily hunted and nesting habitat diminished as settlers moved across the country. By the 1880's, trumpeter swans had largely disappeared from the Mississippi flyway, and by the 1930's, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states.  Recovery efforts in several states have successfully reintroduced the trumpeters to much of their former range. Today the estimated population of trumpeter swans in Minnesota alone is well over 10,000 birds.

Ordering Information     dot    Hautman Brothers homepage