Whooper Swan

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Lakes, flooded fields (winter).
Diet: Aquatic plants, grain.
Best time to spot: Bugling call; arrives Oct.

When to look

A winter visitor, typically in the UK from October through to April. Numbers peak in January. See the January birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in UK winter wildfowl.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Whooper Swan sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Whooper Swan is on the list:

• WWT Caerlaverock

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Bewick's SwanRare · Wet pasture
• Mute SwanCommon · Lakes
• European Golden PloverUncommon · Moorland (summer); fields (winter)
• FieldfareUncommon · Hedgerows
• Eurasian TealCommon · Marshes
• Glossy IbisRare · Marshes

Tell it apart

Side-by-side ID guides: Mute Swan vs Whooper Swan vs Bewick's Swan.

Kit that helps

Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.