The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is offering free swan tours in Yuba County near Marysville on Saturdays beginning in November and extending through January.

Co-hosted by local rice farmers, the naturalist-led tours will focus on tundra swans in one of the premier locations for viewing swans in California. Ducks, geese, ibis, shorebirds, herons, egrets and raptors are also commonly seen in this area, which contains 23,000 acres of flooded rice fields.

Tours will be held on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m, beginning Nov. 16. The driving tours also involve walking short distances. Carpooling is encouraged.

Pre-registration is required at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/2/swan-tours. Up to 30 people may register for each tour.

The tours are part of CDFW’s wildlife viewing services program, which includes outdoors opportunities at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Woodbridge Ecological Reserve and the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.

For more information, please call (916) 358-2869 or email interpretiveservices@wildlife.ca.gov.

Also mark your calendar for the 2019 California Swan Festival Nov. 8-10 in Yuba City. For more information, please visit www.yubasutterchamber.com/swan-festival.html.

Media Contacts: Laura Drath, CDFW North Central Region, (916) 591-1161 Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8908