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Swan Lake
Tulsa County

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From the 1986 edition of A Guide to Birding in Oklahoma published by the Tulsa Audubon Society. This account has been updated as of 2007.

Swan Lake is located in a fine, older residential part of Tulsa The small lake is centered by a fountain. It is entirely fenced and surrounded by a one-way street with residences on steep hillsides to the north and south. It is situated between Utica Avenue on the east and St. Louis on the west, just north of 19th St.

In 1919 this area was a cattle watering place on a creek. It soon be­came a popular picnicking spot for early Tulsans who wished an outing just out of town. The enclosed lake and fountain were built in 1938. Park personnel keep many species of waterfowl here. The Mute Swans are the most conspicuous and have bred successfully. Other pinioned species are the Canada, Snow, Barnacle, and Barhead geese; Mandarin, Wood Duck, Muscovy, Pintail, and Redhead ducks, and two Coots. These exotic birds attract many wild bird visitors. Swan Lake is a fine place to study waterfowl at close range and to photograph, but listers should be careful not to count the pinioned birds. Birds to be seen at Swan Lake other than the captives include the following: Pied-billed Grebe, Green-backed Heron, Little Blue Heron; Mallard, Gadwall, Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Wood Duck, Canvasback, and Lesser Scaup. American Kestrel, Screech-Owl, and Great Horned Owls are seen infrequently.