Soon, two species of swan may join our resident mute swans (Cygnus olor) at St Aidan’s and Fairburn Ings for the winter. These swans will come from Iceland and Iberia respectively, and these are the whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) and Bewick’s swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii). This can make identifying swans a bit tricky, so here’s a bit of a guide to each bird!
The whooper swan is large and white but has a long neck which holds quite straight, compared to the mute swan. They have a yellow bill, unlike the mute swan, which has a black tip extending up the bill in a V shape. When they come over from Iceland for the winter, they tend to be found on wetlands and estuaries. You might also be lucky enough to see them in spring and summer if you live or visit the north, as some pairs will nest there.
The next species is the mute swan, which can be seen all year round throughout a large area of the UK, has a long neck which is roughly an S shape. Their bills are orange, with a black tip and a black bulge at the top. This becomes more pronounced in males in the breeding season, which can make it easier to tell the two sexes apart. They can be seen all over whether that be in a pond in an urban area or a river in a rural area. They can be seen all over our reserves in the Aire Valley! Additionally, in winter, eastern populations might grow a little, as some mute swans may come to the UK from Europe.
The Bewick’s swan is less likely to be seen in the Aire Valley, but you might see it elsewhere, so we’ll cover it! It is very much like the whooper swan, but smaller (about the same size as a Canada goose). They have more black on their bill than to yellow compared to a whooper swan, and the black on the bill forms more of a rounded patch! When they come over to the UK from Siberia, they’re less well distributed than the whooper swan and tend to be found at Slimbridge, on the Severn Estuary and in Lancashire, for example.
If you spot any of these swans within the Aire Valley, make sure to tag us on social media with which site! #RSPBFairburnIngs or #RSPBStAidans
Twitter: @RSPBAireValley
Facebook: @RSPBFairburnIngsAndStAidans
whooper swan- Ben Andrew (RSPB-images.com)
mute swan - Katie Nethercoat (RSPB-images.com)