BEWICK'S SWAN

The 'Bewick's Swan' or 'Tundra Swan' (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small Holarctic swan. This taxon is sometimes split into two species, ''C. bewickii'' of the Palaearctic and the 'Whistling Swan' ''C. columbianus'' of the Nearctic but the latest evidence suggests they should be considered as subspecies within ''C. columbianus''. Bewick's Swan is named after the engraver Thomas Bewick, who specialised in illustrations of birds and animals.

Contents

Description

Distribution

Behaviour

References

External links

Gallery

Description

Bewick's is the smallest of the three Holarctic swans, at 115-146 cm (45-58 in) in length, a 170-195 cm (67-77 in) wingspan and a weight range of 4-9.5 kg (8.8-21 lbs). ''C. c. bewickii'' is similar in appearance to the Whooper Swan, but is smaller, shorter-necked and has a more rounded head shape, with variable bill pattern, but always showing more black than yellow (the other way round with Whooper Swans). The bill pattern for every bird is unique, and scientists make detailed drawings of each and give them names to assist with studying this species. ''C. c. columbianus'' is distinguished from ''C. c. bewickii'' by its largely black bill with a small yellow spot of variable size at the base. ''C. c. columbianus'' also averages larger than ''C. c. bewickii''. ''C. c. columbianus'' is distinguished from the Trumpeter Swan of North America by that species' larger size and large bill, which is lined with salmon-pink along the mouthline instead of yellow on the lores.

Distribution

Bewick's Swans breed in the Arctic, ''C. c. bewickii'' right across northern Russia from the Kola Peninsula east to the Pacific, ''C. c. columbianus'' in Alaska and Canada. ''C. c. bewickii'' migrates via the White Sea, Estonia, the Elbe estuary to winter in the Netherlands and the British Isles, especially in the wildfowl nature reserves of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Populations breeding in eastern Russia (roughly east of the Taimyr Peninsula) winter in Japan and China; these are sometimes separated as the subspecies ''C. c. jankowski'', but this is not widely accepted as distinct, most authors including them in ''C. c. bewickii''. ''C. c. columbianus'' winters in the coastal USA.

Behaviour

Their breeding habitat is Arctic. The female bird lays 4 to 7 eggs in a mound of plant material on a site near open water. The pair build the nest and defend a large territory around it. They pair for life, and their cygnets stay with them all winter; they are sometimes joined by offspring from previous years.
In summer, their diet consists mainly of aquatic vegetation, eaten while swimming. At other times of year, they also eat cultivated grains in open fields. They have a high pitched honking call.
According to National Geographic, when migrating these birds can fly at altitudes of nearly 27,000 ft.
Healthy adult birds have few natural predators. Although numbers are stable, they are increasingly dependent on agricultural crops to supplement their winter diet due to loss of aquatic vegetation in their winter habitat as a result of habitat destruction and water pollution.
The Bewick's Swan is one of the species to which the ''Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds'' (AEWA) applies.

References

★ Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern,and the criteria used

★ ''Splitting headaches? Recent taxonomic changes affecting the British and Western Palaearctic lists'' - Martin Collinson, British Birds vol 99 (June 2006), 306-323

External links

★ Tundra Swan Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

★ Tundra Swan - Cygnus columbianus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

★ Tundra Swan Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding

★ RSPB Bewick's Swan Page

★ WWT Slimbridge

★ Tundra Swan

★ Stamps-''Cygnus columbianus'' (worldwide)

★ Tundra Swan videos on the Internet Bird Collection

Gallery