Threatened swan returns in force
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.
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Hide AdThe 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.