International Swan Census
16th & 17th January 2010
We need your help...
The next fully-coordinated International census of Whooper & Bewick's Swans is scheduled to take place over the weekend of 16th & 17th January 2010. This census in Ireland is being organised by the I-WeBS Office, the Irish Whooper Swan Study Group and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
It has been a pretty wet winter so far, and we are expecting that swan flocks could well be much more widely distributed than during previous censuses. We would be grateful if you would keep your eyes peeled for flocks during mid-January. Please report any sightings to the I-WeBS Office.
The past few decades have seen mixed fortunes for our wintering swans. Bewick's Swans continue to decline in numbers, with less than 300 birds recorded in less than 10 flocks. While this decline appears to be the result of short-stopping of birds along their flyway, the population has been showing decline at flyway level. In contrast, Whooper Swans are continuing to increase, with more than 14,000 birds recorded in 2005, representing an increase of 11% compared with the census in 2000.
We are hoping to coordinate coverage of all sites over the scheduled count weekend, so that we can minimise the chances of doubling up on counts of flocks, some of which can move considerable distances over the winter period, and even from day to day.
We also hope to gather additional details on:
- the type of habitat birds are using,
- how successful the breeding season in 2009 (the number of families of each brood size, and the number of young birds in flocks).
And of course we will be asking observers to keep their eyes peeled for leg rings!
Please contact the I-WeBS Office if you would like to participate.
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