Trumpeter swan was still capable of flight due to its bulk. The adult trumpeter swan is all white in plumage. Like mute swan cygnets, the cygnets of the trumpeter swan have light grey plumage and pinkish legs, and gain their white plumage after about a year. As with a whooper swan, this species has upright posture and generally swims with a straight neck. The trumpeter swan has a large, wedge-shaped black bill that can, in some cases, be minimally lined with salmon-pink coloration around the mouth. The bill, measuring , is up to twice the length of a Canada goose's ("Branta canadensis")
Trumpeter whiting while the sides and lower body are a silvery brown to cream-white hue. The head is dark olive brown to greenish above, while the cheeks and opercles are golden-green, with a dark blotch on the opercle of some individuals. The trumpeter whiting is usually easy to distinguish by its characteristic dark brown irregular blotches present on the side of the fish, as well as a golden silver longitudinal band. The spinous dorsal fin is whitish, with a mottled olive green and brown texture. The soft dorsal fin has about five rows of brownish green spots. The anal and ventral fins