Wildlife Welfare

Wild UK Bewick Swan Welfare Challenges

Bewick swans face severe population declines with welfare implications for a species that may no longer be viable as a regular UK winter visitor.

Key Facts

Bewick swan numbers wintering in the UK have declined from 7,000 in the 1990s to under 4,000 today
Lead poisoning from ingested shot and fishing weights causes significant mortality
Hunting in Russia and elsewhere on migration routes causes mortality and disturbance
Climate change is shortening migration distances as breeding areas become accessible for longer
WWT Slimbridge hosts the main UK monitoring population with individual recognition records spanning decades

Welfare Considerations

Bewick swan welfare is under severe pressure from multiple threats including lead poisoning, hunting and climate change. The long-term individual recognition data from Slimbridge provides unprecedented individual welfare monitoring for this species.

What You Can Do

Support WWT Bewick swan monitoring and conservation programmes
Advocate for lead ammunition and fishing weight bans reducing lead poisoning mortality
Engage with campaigns reducing illegal killing of migratory waterbirds in key range states