How to identify

The Whooper Swan is a large white swan, bigger than a Bewick's Swan. It has a long neck, which it usually holds erect, and black legs. Its black bill has a large triangular patch of yellow on it. It is mainly a winter visitor to the UK from Iceland, although a small number of pairs nest in the north. The estuaries and wetland it visits on migration and for winter roosts need protection. Its winter population and small breeding numbers make it an Amber List species. It is also a Schedule 1 listed bird, meaning it is illegal to disturb them.

Call

Whooper Swan

Matthias Feuersenger / xeno-canto

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.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Where best to see them

Key facts

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