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Ouse Washes Now Regularly Supports More Than 30% of Icelandic Whooper Swans Wintering in Britain and Ireland

Whooper swan at Welney, Norfolk, England
Conservation · Population & status

The Ouse Washes and surrounding farmland in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk now regularly support more than 30% of the Icelandic whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) wintering in Britain and Ireland, according to a review published in February 2026.

The paper combines data from the International Swan Census, the Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme and recent GPS tracking to describe how the Ouse Washes has become England’s most important wintering area for whooper swans.

The wider wintering population has grown strongly

The Icelandic population wintering in Britain and Ireland increased from 15,842 birds in 1995 to more than 43,000 in 2020. As the population grew, the Ouse Washes became increasingly important within the winter range.

The authors contrast this expansion with the decline of the northeast/northwest European population of Bewick’s swan (Cygnus columbianus) over a similar period, showing how differently two migratory swan populations using north-western Europe have developed.

Flooded washes and farmland create ideal winter conditions

Managed flooding of the Washes and the surrounding farmland together provide ideal conditions for wintering swans. The review brings together information on migration routes, winter numbers, breeding success, feeding and roosting ecology to explain how the birds use this landscape through the winter.

The authors also identify agriculture, hydrology, disease and climate as factors that could alter future use of the site. Changes in these factors could reshape how the swans use the Ouse Washes and surrounding farmland in future winters.

Sources and image credit

  1. Brides, K., Bruce, L., Marshall, L., Taylor, J., Lopez Colom, R., Balmer, D. E., Vickers, S. H., Scott, D. K., Rees, E. C., & Wood, K. A. (2026). The Ouse Washes and its increasing importance for Whooper Swans. British Birds, 119, 74–85.Primary 2026 paper. It reports that the Icelandic population wintering in Britain and Ireland increased from 15,842 birds in 1995 to more than 43,000 in 2020, and that the Ouse Washes now regularly supports more than 30% of the population.
  2. British Trust for Ornithology. (2026, February 10). The Ouse Washes and its increasing importance for Whooper Swans.Official BTO publication record confirming the publication date as 10 February 2026.

Image: Mike Prince / Wikimedia Commons — whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) photographed at WWT Welney on the Ouse Washes, Norfolk, England, 16 February 2018. The photograph is from the study area but does not depict an individually identified study bird. · CC BY 2.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ · Source

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