Whooper Swan

A vocal winter swan, with many Irish visitors coming from Iceland.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Mainly autumn to spring, including passage
Where to start: Shallow wetland reserve margins, flooded fields and estuary viewpoints.
What to do when you arrive: In winter, view swan flocks from hides or public banks and compare yellow-and-black bills with binoculars. Keep out of feeding fields and away from roosting flocks.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Adults are white with a yellow-and-black bill and no large knob; the yellow usually forms a wedge beyond the nostril. Juveniles are grey. Check bill pattern against Bewick's Swan, not size alone.

Habitat

Marshes, shallow lakes, wet grassland, estuaries and water margins.

Behaviour

Feeds on plants in shallow water and wet fields, often in family groups.

When to look

Mainly autumn to spring, including passage

Where to look

Shallow wetland reserve margins, flooded fields and estuary viewpoints.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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