David Hodkinson

Bewick’s Swan C. columbianus bewickii breeds near lakes and rivers on tundras of northern Russia. Breeding population in Europe estimated at 5,000-6,000 pairs, trend fluctuating. Winters UK, Belgium, Netherlands and northern Germany where inhabiting marshes, rivers, lakes, ponds and tidal areas with adjacent grasslands or agricultural arable fields. Diet consists of aquatic plants, grasses, sedges and reeds. During winter also grain and leftovers of potatoes and sugar beet. In spring, migrates through narrow corridor to Russian breeding areas using stop-over sites in Baltic and around White Sea.

Season of assessment

W

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		11700-23500,14600
Red List categoryVU
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Tundra Swan

Strong connection between main breeding area around Russian Pechora Delta and Western European breeding grounds. In UK, re-encounters concentrated in few WWT reserves with frequent exchange with wintering sites in Netherlands. Connectivity pattern biased towards traditional ringing and retrapping sites because of lack of most of the many resightings of colourmarked birds. Recently, wintering area has moved towards northeast with more winter sightings in Eastern Germany and Poland. Encounters from novel wintering area in Evros Delta in Greece still lacking. Stop-over sites in Poland, Latvia, Estonia well visible.

Recoveries by Condition for Tundra Swan

Most encounters after 1980, with clear peak from 2016, and mainly during winter months in Western Europe. Small peak in August caused by ringing activities during moult in breeding area. Nearly all encounters refer to rings or colour marks being read in the field. Reports of shot birds very rare, and all but one from Russia.

Annual Movements for Tundra Swan

In November – February, all encounters concentrated in UK, Netherlands, NW Belgium and northern Germany, with occasional encounters further south. First movements towards NE along Elbe river and in Denmark begin March, Poland mid-March and first encounters Baltic end March. Low countries vacated by end March. Encounters scattered in Poland and Baltic, Finnish Gulf, Russian lakes and White Sea reached by end April. Few encounters in May, concentration in Russian breeding area from mid-May to end August. Nearly all encounters end September - begin October in Northern Baltic, move into southern Baltic and low countries by mid-October.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Tundra Swan

Encounters in winter in UK mainly connected to wintering sites in low countries in previous or subsequent winters suggesting frequent exchange. Few connections with Baltic. Birds in winter in Western and Central Europe show well connected network among main wintering sites within the area and are strongly connected to Baltic in April and October, and to Russian breeding area in May- August. A colour-marked Bewick’s swan caught on Iceland in its second calendar year in July and subsequently observed in Western Europe many times constitutes a rare exception to the pattern.

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries