Skip to main content

Mute Swans in Great Britain: a review, current status and long-term trends

Hydrobiologia volume 279, pages 467–482 (1994)Cite this article

Abstract

We review the recent history of the Mute Swan in Great Britain and discuss the factors known to be affecting the population. Following a rise in the national population during the 1950s, numbers decreased sharply during the 1960s, and changed relatively little between 1970/71 and 1984/85. However, there has been considerable regional variation in the fortunes of Mute Swan populations during this period, with dramatic declines in some areas. Although several factors were thought to be contributing to such declines, poisoning from the ingestion of lead fishing weights was shown to be the largest single cause of death amongst swans in a number of areas. Voluntary measures to address this problem were initiated in 1982 and culminated in the banning by law of use of lead weights in 1987.

Winter counts were used to investigate the current status and distribution of the Mute Swan in Great Britain and to examine long-term regional trends. The maximum total count reached 12600 birds in January 1990, which compares with an average of 9550 for the previous five winters. However, accounting for birds missed, the population may now number at least 25 000. Peak total numbers have mostly occurred in September, after which numbers remain approximately stable until December and then decline. Patterns of seasonal abundance vary between regions and habitats and these are discussed.

The British population has increased dramatically since 1986/87 and reached its highest level for 27 years in 1987/88. There have been recent increases in most regions with record levels being reached mostly in 1987 or 1988, and there has been growth in the numbers on all habitat types, especially on reservoirs, gravel extraction pits and freshwater marshes. The timing of these increases corresponds very closely with the introduction of legislation against the use of lead fishing weights, and the incidence of lead poisoning is known to have been considerably reduced by such measures.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Bacon, P. J., 1980. Status and dynamics of a Mute Swan population near Oxford between 1976 and 1978. Wildfowl 31: 37–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead, M. E., 1982. Causes of Mortality in the Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, on the River Thames. J. Zool., Lond. 198: 15–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead, M. E. & C. M. Perrins, 1985. The breeding biology of the Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, on the River Thames with special reference to lead poisoning. Biol. Cons. 32: 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead, M. E. & C. M. Perrins) 1986. The Mute Swan. Christopher Helm, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. W. & L. M. Brown, 1984. The status of the Mute Swan in the Lothians. Scottish Birds 13: 8–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. W. & L. M. Brown, 1985. The Scottish Mute Swan Census 1983. Scottish Birds 13: 140–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, B., 1960. The Mute Swan census in England and Wales, 1955–56. Bird Study 7: 208–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, A. E. & C. D. T. Minton, 1979. Pairing and breeding of Mute Swans in relation to natal area. Wildfowl 30: 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, A. E. & C. D. T. Minton, 1980. Mortality of Mute Swan progeny in an area of south Staffordshire. Wildfowl 31: 22–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramp, S. & K. E. K. Simmons (eds), 1977. The Birds of the Western Palaearctic. Vol 1. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goode, D. A. 1981. Lead poisoning in Swans. Report of the Nature Conservancy Council's Working Group. Nature Conservancy Council. 44 pp.

  • Hardman, J. A. & D. R. Cooper, 1980. Mute Swans on the Warwickshire Avon — a study of a decline. Wildfowl 31: 29–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, J. S., R. J. Waters & R. P. Prys-Jones, 1990. Wildfowl and Wader Counts 1989–90. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, 80 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lack, P. (ed.), 1986. The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland. Poyser, Calton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogilvie, M. A., 1967. Population changes and mortality of the Mute Swan in Britain. Wildfowl Trust Ann. Rep. 18: 64–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogilvie, M. A., 1972. Distribution, numbers and migration. In: Scott, P. and the Wildfowl Trust, The Swans, London: 29–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogilvie, M. A., 1981. The Mute Swan in Britain, 1978. Bird Study 28: 87–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogilvie, M. A., 1986. The Mute Swan Cygnus olor in Britain 1983. Bird Study 33: 121–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, P. J., 1981. The decline of the Mute Swan in the London Area. London Bird Report 46: 87–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, M., G. L. Atkinson-Willes & D. G. Salmon, 1986. Wildfowl in Great Britain, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press.

  • Perrins, C. M., 1981. Mortality of Mute Swans. Report to the NCC working party on lead poisoning in swans. Nature Conservancy Council. 14 pp.

  • Perrins, C. M., 1991. Survival rates of young Mute Swans Cygnus olor. In J. Sears & P. J. Bacon (eds), Proc. Third IWRB International Swan Symposium, Oxford 1989. Wildfowl Supplement No. 1: 95–102.

  • Perrins, C. M. & M. A. Ogilvie, 1981. A study of the Abbotsbury Mute Swans. Wildfowl 32: 35–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrins, C. M. & C. M. Reynolds, 1967. A preliminary study of the Mute Swan, Cygnus olor. Wildfowl Trust Ann. Rep. 18: 74–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrins, C. M. & J. Sears, 1991. Collisions with overhead wires as a cause of mortality in Mute Swans Cygnus olor. Wildfowl 42: 5–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawcliffe, C. P, 1958. The Scottish Mute Swan census 1955–56. Bird Study 5: 45–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridgill, S. C & A. D. Fox, 1990. Hard weather movements of waterfowl in Western Europe. IWRB Spec. Publ. 13, Slimbridge. UK, 87 pp.

  • Sears, J., 1988. Regional and seasonal variations in the incidence of lead poisoning in the Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, in relation to the distribution of lead weights in the Thames area, England. Biol. Conserv. 46: 115–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sears, J. & A. Hunt, 1991. Lead poisoning in Mute Swans, Cygnus olor, in England. In J. Sears & P. J. Bacon (eds), Proc. Third IWRB International Swan Symposium, Oxford 1989. Wildfowl Supplement No. 1: 383–388.

  • Simpson, V. R., A. E. Hunt & R. C. French, 1979. Chronic lead poisoning in a herd of Mute Swans. Environmental Pollution 18: 187–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spray, C. J., 1991. Population dynamics of Mute Swans Cygnus olor in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. In J. Sears & P. J. Bacon (eds), Proc. Third IWRB International Swan Symposium, Oxford 1989. Wildfowl Supplement No. 1: 143.

  • Underhill, L. G., 1989. Indices for waterbird populations. BTO Research Report 52: 53 pp.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, GL2 7BT, Slimbridge, Gloucester, UK

    Jeff Kirby, Simon Delany & John Quinn

Authors
  1. Jeff Kirby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Simon Delany
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John Quinn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kirby, J., Delany, S. & Quinn, J. Mute Swans in Great Britain: a review, current status and long-term trends. Hydrobiologia 279, 467–482 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027878

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027878

Key words

  • Mute Swans
  • Great Britain
  • population
  • trends