Bewick's swan  (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)

Significant numbers of Bewick's swans occur in Britain, and the species is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and human activities (3).

99% of the British overwintering population and 5% of the Irish population occurs within Special Protection Areas (SPAs). However, many of these swans feed on intensively managed farmland outside of these protected areas during the day, and so measures must be taken to protect the birds in these areas (4). Some of the sites supporting this species are owned by the RSPB or the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, so the species also receives protection in these areas (3).