Bewick's Swans visit the UK during the winter from their breeding grounds in the Arctic Tundra.
The classification of these birds is not straight forward. It may be considered a sub-species of Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) or it can also be considered a full-species known as Cygnus bewickii. I believe the more modern analysis treats these birds as a subspecies of Tundra Swan. Most of the disagreement on this classification seems to hang on the amount of yellow / black in the beak. On such things PhDs are made.
These birds wrestle photographed at Slimbridge, a WWT reserve in Gloucestershire, UK. This reserve is famous for these swans, and it is a well known location for them in the winter. However, the number of birds visiting the reserve has fallen by almost 90% in the last 50 years. Many birds which would have 'traditionally' made the journey to Slimbridge after breeding now 'stop short' at other wetlands in Europe, rather than flying all the way to the UK. This is almost certainly the result of the warmer winter temperatures now being experienced due to climate change. There are now fewer than 18,000 of these birds that overwinter in Europe.
They are the smallest of the three species of Swan found in the UK, and this was the first chance I had to photograph them. They really are a wonderful bird.
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