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Bewick's Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) |
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General: The Bewick's Swan is the smallest of the 3 European swans measuring a total length of 120 cm. Bewick's Swan's mostly breed in tundra areas of northern Russia and Siberia and on the southern part of Nova Zembla. The birds that breed on the east side of the Ural Mountains winter in China or Japan. The breeding population on the west side of the Urals number about 20-25000 birds and winter in North-west Europe. The biggest part of this population winter in the Netherlands, with about one third wintering in England (especially near Welney around the Ouse Washes) and on into Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and France. 
Bewick's Swan (Wieringermeer 2002).
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 Bewick's Swan's eating grass. Food: In their breeding area, in summer, the Bewick's Swans mostly eat roots, leafs and stalks of water plants. The little Bewick's Swan's also eat insects and their larva. In the fall and winter the Bewick's swans like to eat Potamogeton pectinatus turnips. Unfortunately for them, the Potamogeton pectinatus has become hard to find in the Netherlands due to the increase of pollution. Because of this, the Bewick's Swan's have started to eat other food like grass and what is left in the fields after the harvest of potatoes and beets. |
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