Birds and wildlife

Bewick's Swan

Cygnus columbianus bewickiiGroup: Ducks, geese and swansUK Conservation status:Red

How to identify

Bewick's Swan adults are white all over with a black and yellow bill, while young birds are greyish with a pinkish bill. Compared to the similar Whooper Swan, these swans have proportionally more black and less yellow on their bill. They're also smaller than both Mute and Whooper Swans and have faster wingbeats. Bewick's Swans are a Schedule 1 species, meaning it's illegal to intentionally or recklessly disturb them.

Key features to look out for

  • Smaller than a Mute Swan or Whooper Swan 
  • Hold their necks straight – Mute Swans tend to arch their necks 
  • More pointed bill than a Mute Swan 
  • Yellow on bill is rounded rather than wedge shaped 
Did you know?

The yellow markings on a Bewick's Swan's bill are unique to each bird. Because of this WWT have been able to monitor Bewick’s Swans returning to Slimbridge in Gloucestershire for more than 60 years – one of the longest running studies of a single species ever! 

Conservation status

Bewick’s Swans were added to the Red List of UK Birds of Conservation Concern in 2021. Pressures include illegal hunting abroad, ingestion of lead ammunition, and the impacts of climate change and habitat loss.  

In 2025, the UK Government has announced new restrictions on the use of lead in ammunition, following campaigning by the RSPB, WWT and other conservation organisations.  

Bewick’s Swans are the smallest species of swan that you can see in the UK. Not much bigger than a Canada Goose, these are also our rarest, with numbers dropping sharply over recent years. Recent evidence from WWT, the charity for wetlands and wildlife, suggests that Britain could have lost up to 43% of its population of Bewick’s Swans in just five years. 

Where and when to see them

Bewick's Swans are found mainly in eastern England and around the Severn Estuary. RSPB Ouse and Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire and WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire are good places to see Bewick's Swans.

Difficulty rating - Moderate to hard

Bewick's Swans are found mainly in eastern England and around the Severn Estuary. RSPB Ouse and Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire and WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire are good places to see Bewick's Swans.

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
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Behaviour

The swans migrate here for the winter from their breeding grounds on the Arctic tundra in Siberia. But large numbers are now ‘short-stopping’, choosing to spend the winter months in wetlands in central Europe rather that flying to the UK. Climate change means the birds don’t need to fly as far to find ice-free wetlands so they are wintering in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands rather than the UK. 

Call/song

Like Whooper Swans, Bewick’s Swans are very vocal and call to other in flight. Listen for a bugling call which some describe as having musical notes! 

Bewick's Swan, pair swimming
Bewick's Swan
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Key facts