Bewick's Swan

Cygnus columbianus bewickii

Bewick's swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) is the Eurasian form of the tundra swan, smaller than the whooper swan and marked by a black-and-yellow bill pattern that can help identify individuals. It breeds on Arctic tundra in northern Russia and migrates to wintering wetlands, estuaries, lakes, and farmland in western Europe or parts of East Asia, depending on population. Its call is higher and softer than the whooper swan's, and pairs often remain together across seasons.

Work with Bewick's swans usually involves protected wetlands, flyway monitoring, and specialist wildfowl care. Conservation teams count wintering birds, track migration routes, and investigate causes of decline such as lead poisoning, collisions, disturbance, disease, and habitat change. In collections, swans need clean water, grazing areas, predator-safe nesting sites, and diets that do not rely on bread or rich human food. Because they are migratory protected waterfowl in many regions, possession, transport, and breeding may be regulated. Good records are useful when managed birds could be confused with wild migrants.