Threatened swan returns in force

THREATENED Bewick’s swans are arriving from their Russian breeding grounds with larger numbers of youngsters than experts have seen for more than a decade.

Surveys of the species in UK wintering grounds reveal that 17.6 per cent of the flock are youngsters, compared with an average of around 10 per cent over the past 10 years.

It is good news for the Bewick’s swan population which has seen steep declines since the 1990s.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The boost to numbers, which indicates a good breeding season for the bird in the Russian
Arctic, is replicated across 
northern Europe, conservationists said.

Counts throughout northern Europe reveal an average of 14 per cent young within the flocks, the highest level since 2001 and much better than in recent years.

Hopes of a good breeding season were raised when a family of eight swans arrived at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire for the winter.

The arrival of Slimbridge regular Everton, his new mate Rovers and their six cygnets is the largest swan family recorded at the reserve.