86% decline in Bewick's swans over the last 50 years
We've sadly seen a steady decline in the numbers of the much-loved Bewick's swans at WWT Slimbridge.
During the season of 2024/2025 we welcomed just 87 individual swans to Slimbridge and no cygnets.
Climate change has contributed to this decline, as the warmer temperatures in Europe mean they don’t need to travel as far from Arctic Russia to reach ice-free wetlands – this is known as 'short-stopping'.
Early figures suggest over 7,000 Bewick’s short-stopped in parts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands for the winter of 2024/25.
Reserve Manager, Martin McGill, said:
As a young visitor I appreciated the Bewick's swans flock at WWT Slimbridge, but it wasn't until I began working on the reserve that I realised just how sacred these special birds were.
The Scott family and all those directly involved in the careful management of the reserve, and the areas of the grounds favoured by the birds, went to great lengths to provide everything they needed.
It's easy to forget that nowhere else can you see these birds at such close quarters, thanks to this unique relationship built on trust.
I was fortunate enough to work through a time when a flock of 500 or more were typical. Plumage and bill patterns aside, I have always been in awe of the power of migration and the close family bond they have. But perhaps the most striking aspect of these birds is their sound. They're such vocal birds. Even with 80 or less birds present - the sound generated by a flock is incredible.
Despite the successes of WWT's campaigning and influential work across this species range, it's so saddening to witness the decline - especially from a reserve point of view. We still provide them with high-quality grazing and opportunities to feed in shallow pools or floods, as well as doing everything possible to ensure they're undisturbed and find a peaceful roost site here.
After spending the day on the fields and pools, each pair of swans arrives in turn from grazing or digging for roots in favoured habitat, it's almost as if they've pre-arranged it. Often a test run is made, they circle over once before choosing the flight-line in, then a sharp descent into the wind, spreading their feet and wings to 'ski' to a halt. This is among the very finest experiences to witness on a bright winter afternoon at sunset.
Losing these magical wetland moments and the winter soundscape across the reserve will be terribly sad for us. I am hopeful though, the current population within their remaining range will benefit from the positive work that WWT and partner organisations have developed over many decades. I hope that Bewick's swans will continue to be heard on European wintering grounds in the future.
Adored by our visitors and staff, the Bewick’s are an iconic part of the winter soundscape and spectacle at WWT Slimbridge. Bewick’s swans were first monitored by WWT founder and conservationist Sir Peter Scott in 1964. Since then, more than 10,000 Bewick’s swans have made WWT Slimbridge home for the winter, including the famous pond-elder 27-year-old ‘Winkey’, who returned in the winter of 2024/25 after first wintering at Slimbridge in 2001. Winkey’s complicated love-triangle with ‘Winker’ and ‘Tinkie’ is just one of the many Bewick’s romances that has captured our visitors’ hearts over the years.
You can read more about the individuals who spent the winter of 2024/25 with us, over on our dedicated blog:
