January Swan Count - 20/01/26
Teams across the Fens took part in a co-ordinated count of wintering swans on Tues 20th January.
Teams across the Fens took part in a co-ordinated count of wintering swans on Tues 20th January. Once the results were in, we had totals as follows:
Dawn roost count from the Ouse Washes:
- Whooper swan – 7922
- Bewick’s swan – 265
Arable daytime count from the Fens:
- Whooper swan – 13,756
- Bewick’s swan – 372
This year, the January count was part of the International Swan Census, which in addition to gathering data about the population sizes and distributions, the census also:
- Identifies important wintering sites for both whooper and Bewick’s swan.
- Conducts age assessments to provide a coordinated estimation of breeding success.
- Records the type of habitat used by the swans during the census to assess whether there has been any major shift in habitat use over time.
For January 2026 we were delighted to record 11,183 whooper swans across the Ouse Washes and surrounding landscape, with a further 2,573 whooper swans across the neighbouring Nene Washes, producing a combined flock size of 13,756. Whilst the numbers are slightly down on 2025 figures, the numbers are encouraging as the whooper swans across the Fens experienced an outbreak of HPAI in the autumn of 2025.
The weekend of the count, brought with it cold weather resulting in a movement of Bewick’s swans into Norfolk, of which 316 were counted around the Ouse Washes. This continues the long term decline of this species.
In February's issue of British Birds you can read more about the importance of the Ouse Washes for the whooper swan.
