Bewick's Swans

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Latin name:  Cygnus columbianus

Size:  Approx 120cm.  Weight up to 8kg

Distribution:  Found in Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and many parts of England, especially around the Ouse Washes.

Months seen:  Late September to April

Food:  Aquatic vegetation, grain and potatoes

Habitat:  Salt marshes, reservoirs and meadows

Special features:  Bewick's swans are migrant birds spending half the year in northern Siberia and half the year here in the U.K.

Bewick's are much smaller than our resident Mute swans, and their shorter necks give them a goose-like appearance.

On their bill they have a small yellow patch which does not extend all the way to the nostrils.  These yellow markings have been likened to human fingerprints, in that every swan has a uniquely shaped patch.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Bird Section
• What's Out Now?