Field Guide
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Bewick's Swan
Cygnus bewickii
Not yet photographed by the community
Smaller winter swan; rounded yellow bill patch.
Species Profile
Amber List (UK); of European concern due to reliance on key wintering sites.
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 115–127 cm long, wingspan 170–195 cm; 5.5–7.5 kg
- Habitat
- Breeds in Arctic tundra; winters on shallow lakes, rivers, and coastal waters with freshwater access.
- UK Distribution
- Winter visitor, arriving September to March, with largest numbers in the Severn Estuary, Norfolk Broads, and other wetlands. Rare breeder in the UK.
- Diet
- Herbivorous; grazes on aquatic vegetation, grass, and winter crops; dabbles and upends to feed underwater.
- Predators
- Foxes, stoats, and eagles; chicks vulnerable to gulls and corvids; adults occasionally preyed upon by white-tailed eagles.
- Mating Season
- May to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 3–5 eggs; incubation period 29–30 days; single brood per year. Young fledge at 8–9 weeks.
- Behaviour
- Highly social, wintering in flocks and maintaining strong pair bonds for life. Recognisable by distinctive rounded head profile and yellow-and-black bill pattern. Known for loyal return to traditional wintering grounds.
- •Each individual Bewick's Swan has a unique yellow-and-black facial pattern, allowing researchers to identify and track individuals over decades.
- •The species is named after the 18th-century engraver Thomas Bewick, a pioneer of British ornithology.
- •Bewick's Swans undertake one of the longest migrations of any swan species, flying over 3,000 km from Russian Arctic breeding grounds to UK wintering sites.
- •They are monogamous and often bring their cygnets to the same wintering grounds year after year, creating multi-generational family groups.
- •The Severn Estuary hosts one of the world's most important wintering populations, sometimes exceeding 5,000 individuals.
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