Declining Numbers of Wild Swans Returning to UK During Winter Due to Climate Change

Climate change is causing changes in the behavior of Bewick's swans, resulting in fewer of them returning to the UK for the winter and those that do arrive much later than before. Recently, a pair of swans named Maisie and Maifield arrived in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, marking the latest arrival since naturalists started monitoring the swan flocks in 1965. The number of swans returning to the UK has significantly decreased over the years, from about 700 annually to just over 100. The swans typically leave their frozen Arctic breeding grounds in late autumn and return north in the spring. The senior research officer at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve expressed concern that one day, the swans may not return at all due to climate change. Bewick's swans, the smallest of the UK's wild swans, can be identified by the black markings on their yellow bills. Monitoring studies using GPS trackers have shown that they are changing their behavior, with many choosing to stay in Germany and the Netherlands instead of traveling all the way to Britain. The global population of Bewick's swans is also declining rapidly, and they face threats from various sources. This year's unusually hot weather, which has broken many temperature records, has impacted the natural world, including the swans. The swans returning to Slimbridge have been studied for over 60 years, making it one of the longest-running studies of a single species worldwide.