Latest news
The Trumpeter Swan, North America’s only native swan species, lost one of its most ardent and energetic champions with the sudden passing of Ruth Shea on 25th February 2023. […] Read more →
Welcome to the 17th edition of the Swan Specialist Group News, for 2022 […] Read more →
The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Montreal, Canada, on 19 December 2022 with a landmark agreement […] Read more →
Contracting Parties and observers to the Convention on Wetlands met in Wuhan, China and Geneva […] Read more →
“COP27 concludes with much homework and little time.” […] Read more →
Once widespread throughout North America, the Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator was extirpated from much of its historic range by the turn of the 20th Century due largely to overhunting and habitat loss. […] Read more →
This synchronous international survey is part of the long-term monitoring scheme coordinated by the Swan Specialist Group […] Read more →
A growing number of nature reserves have begun to use live-streaming webcams to showcase their wildlife to the outside world. This presents an opportunity for researchers to study animal behaviour […] Read more →
Wetlands absorb carbon dioxide and buffer the excesses of drought and flood, yet we’ve drained much of this land. Can we learn to love our swamps? By Annie Proulx, The New Yorker […] Read more →
While modern conservation biology has produced great success stories of restored species and ecosystem functions […] Read more →
The article describes a new genus, Annakacygna (Aves, Anatidae, Cygnini) and two species of flightless swan […] Read more →
A short video by Idaho Fish and Game showing scientists studying swan health in the lower Couer d’Alene River Basin. […] Read more →
It is with great sadness that we share that Harry G. Lumsden, our Visionary and Mentor of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program passed away peacefully at home […] Read more →
Final call for abstracts for the 7th International Swan Symposium/26th Conference of the Trumpeter Swan Society. […] Read more →
A short video of Trumpeter Swans and other waterfowl at Deer Parks Wildlife Mitigation Unit in eastern Idaho, USA. […] Read more →
Professor emeritus Arnthor Gardarsson, of the University of Iceland, passed away 1 January, 83 years old. […] Read more →
Following a serious illness, the prominent scientist and a world–famous specialist in the biodiversity protection Evgeny E. Syroechkovsky has passed away. […] Read more →
In February 2021, The IUCN-SSC Swan Specialist Group joined other conservation agencies and non-government organisations in writing to the Acting Secretary for the US Department of the Interior […] Read more →
The Scientific Committee now welcomes abstracts for presentations on any aspects of swan biology, ecology and conservation […] Read more →
The recent decades have seen the Bewick’s swan wintering distribution in Europe slowly shifting in northeastern direction […] Read more →
Newsletter of the Wetlands International / IUCN SSC Swan Specialist Group […] Read more →
This synchronous international survey is part of the long-term monitoring scheme coordinated by the Swan Specialist Group […] Read more →
The narrative at COP26 will be around mitigation and adaptation, and wetlands can play a part […] Read more →
GooseNews is the annual newsletter of WWT’s Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP) […] Read more →
The Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus is an endangered species in Chile. After the Río Cruces ecological disaster in Valdivia in 2004 (due to installation of a new pulp mill) […] Read more →
On May 11, 2019, Sandra Lines, and I from Winona, MN, witnessed an unusual natural event in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area near Weaver, MN […] Read more →
Yulia Leonova from the Nenetskiy Zapovednik nature reserve in north-western Russia has reported that the mass migration of Bewick’s swans from the arctic tundra has begun […] Read more →
to be held at the Snow King Resort in Jackson, Wyoming, USA 24 – 27 October 2022 […] Read more →
The migration routes and main sites used by migratory waterbirds have been studied in Europe and North America since the mid-20th century […] Read more →
“Tens of thousands of trumpeter swans once flourished in the Great Lakes region. But widespread hunting brought the birds to the brink of extinction” Read more →
Waterbirds in the UK presents the results of the annual wetland bird survey report […] Read more →
A flock of Bewick’s swans which had begun their epic migration from Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire to the Arctic tundra have turned back […] Read more →
The main purpose of many protected areas (PAs) is the long-term preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems […] Read more →
Many species of large herbivore, including swans, rely on agricultural land for their feeding habitats […] Read more →
The next international age assessment for the NW European Bewick’s swan population will be undertaken on 12/13 December 2020 […] Read more →
A huge step towards ending the suffering of millions of waterbirds from lead poisoning has been taken following a historic vote to ban lead shot in and around wetlands […] Read more →
Within waterbird assemblages, swans are well-known for showing aggression towards other waterbirds, including other swans […] Read more →
The Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus is an aquatic herbivorous bird, native of the southern tip of South America […] Read more →
Lead is one of the non-essential metals that can become a serious environmental threat to the human population and wildlife causing various toxic impairments and pathologies […] Read more →
Members of an EU Committee that deals with chemical hazards have until 15 July to vote on a proposal to restrict the use of lead shot in EU wetlands […] Read more →
“Return of the Swan” is a beautiful photo essay, timelapse and short film by Platte Basin Timelapse (PBT). The photo essay by Mike Forsberg showcases the conservation success story of Trumpeter swans […] Read more →
Two species of swans (Whooper Swan and Bewick’s Swan) migrate through Karelia, NW Russia. Their spring migrations were studied on farmland near the town of Olonets during the years 1997–2018. […] Read more →
Perceiving how animals adjust their feeding rate under a variety of environmental conditions and understanding the tradeoffs in their foraging strategies are necessary for conservation […] Read more →
The Swan Champions in the European Russian Arctic continue to organise impactful activities that celebrate Bewick’s swans and their wetland habitats and dissuade people from hunting this iconic species […] Read more →
In February a major survey was undertaken in the Volga Delta, Russia, aiming to assess the numbers of different swan species in the region […] Read more →
Spring has sprung and the Bewick’s are making excellent progress on their migration back to their breeding grounds in the Russian Arctic […] Read more →
Are street lights keeping Black Swans awake? Over the past 150 years, artificial light has dramatically transformed our night environment. Today, more than 80% of people live under skies that are unnaturally bright […] Read more →
Recent estimates of the world’s swan Cygnus sp. populations indicate that there are currently between 1.5-1.6 million birds in 8 species […] Read more →
Internationally coordinated censuses of the Northwest European Bewick’s Swan population have been undertaken across the swans’ European wintering range at approximately 5-year intervals […] Read more →
Around the weekend of 14/15 December the Swan Specialist Group held a coordinated count in Europe to find out how many cygnets were born this year. The NW European wintering population has been declining […] Read more →
In October 2018, over 100 swan researchers gathered in Tartu in Estonia for the 6th International Swan Symposium. We’re delighted that now some of the key research from that meeting has been published […] Read more →
Mute Swans Cygnus olor are at high risk from lead poisoning as they live in habitats where recreational coarse fishing occurs […] Read more →
Mortality due to collisions with power lines affects waterbirds around the world. This includes impacts to swans. The primary mechanism by which avian collisions are mitigated is […] Read more →
January 2020 sees the next of the 5-yearly International Bewick’s and Whooper Swan Censuses take place across northwest Europe […] Read more →
WWT’s centres provide some of the most important roost sites for the swans visiting Britain, with WWT Welney alone supporting more than 30% of Europe’s total population […] Read more →
Bonn, 29 November 2018 – The Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) is classed as “Least Concern” by IUCN (IUCN 2018), but it is in decline in NW Europe […] Read more →
In the weekend of 15-16 December 2018, The 37th annual Bewick’s Swan age count is held. We kindly invite you to participate in these international Bewick’s swan age and/or brood count […] Read more →
The presence of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) in the Great Lakes region of North America serves as a visible reminder to our connected cultures, economies and world […] Read more →
Members of the Wetlands International / IUCN-SSC Swan Specialist Group (SSG) from Europe, Asia and North America came together to discuss the latest swan research and conservation activities […] Read more →
US Department of the Interior legal memorandum changes interpretation of “incidental take” in Migratory Bird Treaty Act […] Read more →
Russia’s skies to fill with snow-coloured swans signalling winter is on the way […] Read more →
Today, the reindeer breeders of the “Ilebts” community handed in a swan ring […] Read more →
The deadline for early bird registration is fast approaching! For a discount on your registration fee, make sure you register your attendance by 1 August 2018 […] Read more →
World Migratory Birds Day is celebrated every May. This year the State Nenetskiy Zapovednik (reserve) in the Russian Arctic dedicated the day to the Bewick’s swan […] Read more →
In August 2017, a team made up of staff from WWT and University College London (UCL) joined Russian colleagues on an expedition to the Russian tundra to catch and colour-ring Bewick’s Swans […] Read more →
Last week, a workshop was held in Naryan-Mar in the Russian Arctic to plan activities that champion Bewick’s Swans and their wetland habitats and reduce their hunting. Creative and practical ideas were discussed with energy and enthusiasm in what was a very inspiring day […] Read more →
Research is continuing to investigate the factors that affect the long-term persistence and resilience of Trumpeter Swan flocks in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem […] Read more →
Trumpeter Swan survey reports and data are available […] Read more →
We are delighted to announce that the 6th International Swan Symposium will be held at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia, from 16–19 October 2018 […] Read more →
As the festive season is upon us, we are still waiting for our annual ‘swan-fall’ here in the UK. On one or two days every winter, we are treated to the mass arrival of Bewick’s Swans from the Russian arctic […] Read more →
