January 2020 sees the next of the 5-yearly International Bewick’s and Whooper Swan Censuses take place across northwest Europe. The coordinated censuses, organised by the IUCN SSC Swan Specialist Group together with National Count Coordinators and Wetlands International, aims to assess the population size, distribution, breeding success and habitat choice for:

• the Northwest European Bewick’s Swan Population,
• the NW Mainland Europe Whooper Swan Population and,
• the Icelandic Whooper Swan Population.

During the 2020 census, we also aim to undertake a comprehensive survey of Bewick’s Swans in the Caspian and Black Sea regions, to provide better evidence for the apparent increase and change in distribution of the Caspian Population of Bewick’s Swans. Additionally, we hope to extend the censuses to include comprehensive counts of Whooper Swans in the Black Sea/East Mediterranean Population and the Caspian/West Siberian Population.

The internationally coordinated swan censuses not only give invaluable information on trends in numbers for each population but, by aiming to count all swans at their wintering sites, provide the total population size data used to determine sites of national and international importance for the species. They also describe any major shifts in site or habitat use over time (including for areas not covered by the International Waterbird Census), and provide a comprehensive measure of the percentage of juveniles in flocks across the wintering range.

Obtaining data on the status of Bewick’s Swans is particularly important in 2020, for assessing the effectiveness of conservation initiatives undertaken as part of the AEWA International Species Action Plan (ISSAP) for the NW European Population, and for throwing light on whether the Caspian Population of Bewick’s Swans is increasing and shifting in distribution to SE Europe.

If you would like to participate in the census, please get in touch with your National Organiser of the International Waterbird Census or by contacting the appropriate species coordinator below.

Wim Tijsen

Bewick’s Swan Census Coordinator

Wetlands International / IUCN Swan Specialist Group

Poelweg 12,

1778 KB Westerland

The Netherlands

e-mail: wimtijsen@ziggo.nl

Preben Clausen

NW Mainland Europe Whooper Swan Census Coordinator

Department of Bioscience

Aarhus University

Kalø

Grenåvej 14

DK-8410 Rønde

Denmark

e-mail: pc@bios.au.dk

Kane Brides

Icelandic Whooper Swan Census Coordinator

Wetlands International / IUCN Swan Specialist Group

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BT

United Kingdom

e-mail: kane.brides@wwt.org.uk

Eileen Rees

Chair: Wetlands International / IUCN Swan Specialist Group

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Martin Mere, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 0TA

United Kingdom

e-mail: eileen.rees@wwt.org.uk