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Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
BTO Codes: WS , WHOSW EURING No: 1540
Number in Britain: 5700 birds (Winter)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: Not a species of concern(Winte
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (A)  Scarce Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: Monotypic
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Length: 152 cm Wingspan: 230 cm Weight: M/F: 9.3 kg    
Scientific name from: L.: cygnus=the swan (from Gr.: kuknos)
World Distribution: BREEDS: n Eurasia, WINTERS: south to n Africa, India & se China
Habitat: Lakes, marshes & rivers
Diet: Aquatic vegetation, also grazes on land (especially more recently)
TitBit: Whooper Swans have been recorded migrating at altitudes up to 8,200m where the ambient temperature is -40C.  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Winter: 5720 individuals in 1994-99
    Summer: 3 to 7 wild pairs in 1996-00
    First Record: 7th Century [Fossil evidence from Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
    First Breeding Record: Sutherland (after extinct 1770s) 1910
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: Unavailable
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results: Wetland Bird Survey Alerts
Waterbird Review Series
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 113 x 73 mm Egg Weight: 331.0 g (of which 12 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 1
Clutch Size: 4 - 5 eggs
Incubation: 31 - 42 days by the: Female
Fledging: 78 - 96 days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Does not breed in Britain, or too few Nest Records
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 90
Adult Survival: 0.801 Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 4 years Typical Lifespan: 9 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 23yr3m   (Denmark: 26yr 6m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: M*
Wing Length Adult: 598.5 ± 21.7 Range 561 - 632 mm, N =168
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: 610.0 ± 18.1 578 - 639 mm, N =74
Female: 589.3 ± 20.0 555 - 619 mm, N =93
Weight Adult: 9.04 ± 1.27 Range 6.90 - 11.10 kg , N =174
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: 9.60 ± 1.10 7.90 - 11.60 kg , N =75
Female: 8.66 ± 1.19 . 6.80 - 10.60 kg , N =94
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Gaelic: Eala-fhiadhaich Welsh: Alarch y Gogledd
Danish: Sangsvane Dutch: Wilde zwaan
Finnish: Laulujoutsen French: Cygne chanteur
German: Singschwan Hungarian: Énekes hattyú
Icelandic: Álft Irish: Eala Ghlórach
Italian: Cigno selvatico Norwegian: Sangsvane
Polish: Labedz krzykliwy Portuguese: Cisne-bravo
Spanish: Cisne cantor Swedish: Sångsvan
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Rees, E. et al. 1997 BWP Update 1:27-35
   Brazil, M. 2003 The whooper swan Poyser, London [598.484 BRA]
   Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press [598.48 KEA]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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