Six-yearly count to track diverging fortunes of UK and Ireland’s wintering swans

A Bewick's swan pictured in Gloucestershire in winter 2020, when the last count was held. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Volunteer birders across the UK and Ireland will be among those taking part in the six-yearly international swan census this weekend, counting numbers of the countries’ two wintering species, whooper and Bewick’s swans.

The survey, which last took place in January 2020, aims to track changes in the populations of these charismatic wildfowl in the UK and Ireland. The whoopers have mainly travelled from Iceland and the Bewick’s from Siberia.