Whooper swans are large migratory swans that winter in the UK from Iceland and northern Europe, with welfare concerns around habitat availability and disturbance.
Whooper swans rely on a network of traditional wintering sites that are vulnerable to drainage, agricultural intensification and development. Disturbance at key roost sites forces birds to use energetically costly alternative locations. Crop waste and spilled grain in agricultural fields provides crucial supplementary feeding for large aggregations.