adult

adult flying juvenile European distribution

Identification

It is the smallest and shortest-necked of the European swans and, like the Whooper, has obvious yellow in the beak. In Bewick's Swan, however, this is just a short yellow blob at the base, rather than an extended yellow wedge. In juveniles the bill starts off mainly pink but there is still a paler blob of the same characteristic shape.

Habitat

Winters on lakes, estuaries, marshes and flooded fields.

Migration

Birds migrate from their Arctic breeding grounds between October-November, to winter in coastal lowlands of northern Europe. They return between March-April. On migration they use important staging areas in Estonia and near lake Onega and the White Sea.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Bewick's Swan is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Slimbridge, Glos 07/02/2010	undisc. site, Down 13/02/2009	Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk 31/01/2010	Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk 31/01/2010	Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk 31/01/2010
Harbridge, Hants 30/01/2010	Harbridge, Hants 30/01/2010	Westhay Heath, Somerset 30/01/2010	Westhay Heath, Somerset 30/01/2010	Wroot, Lincs 27/01/2010

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Bewick's Swan breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Greenland
Lithuania
Russia

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	Swan Vista	Tuesday 28th October 2003
	Follow the progress of Bewick's Swans and Whooper Swans fitted with radio transmitters as they undertake their autumn migration from the Russian Arctic to northwest Europe.

 BirdGuides webzine