Bewick's Swan on the River Wensum by James Emerson 1/7
Bewick's swans at NWT Cley by John Miller 2/7
Bewick's swans at NWT Cley by John Miller 3/7
Bewick's Swans at NWT Cley by John Miller 4/7
Bewick's Swans by Julian Thomas 5/7
Bewick's Swan at Ludham Airfield by Paul Taylor 6/7
Bewick's Swan by Dave Kilbey 7/7

Bewick's swan Cygnus columbianus

Bewick’s swan is a winter visitor to Norfolk, especially to the Fens and Broads. It is the smaller of our two winter swans, with a relatively small bill and kind-looking face. The Bewick’s swans which winter in Norfolk breed largely in the Russian tundra. In autumn, adults arrive with their grey young from the year and even in large winter flocks they will maintain family bonds throughout the winter.

Conservation status

Bewick’s swan is on the amber list in the UK on account of its localised non-breeding populations. The Norfolk Fens have traditionally held a significant proportion of the UK population in winter.

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Details

Did you know? Individual Bewick’s swans have recognisable beak patterns. At Slimbridge in Gloucestershire the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust has been studying the lives of individual Bewick’s Swans for many decades and through many generations.

Bewick’s swan is the Eurasian subspecies of the tundra swan. The North American subspecies has much less yellow in its bill and is known as the whistling swan.
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