Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks October to November · Ducks, Swans, and Geese · BOU category AE*F
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Whooper Swan has been recorded in 1,446 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (49%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in October to November.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 65% or more of visits
- High
- 9% to 65%
- Moderate
- 3% to 9%
- Low
- under 3%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 3% | Very high |
| February | 64% | 2% | Very high |
| March | 58% | 2% | Very high |
| April | 14% | <1% | Very high |
| May | 9% | <1% | Very high |
| June | 7% | <1% | Very high |
| July | 9% | <1% | Very high |
| August | 12% | <1% | Very high |
| September | 22% | <1% | Low |
| October | 100% | 4% | High |
| November | 91% | 3% | High |
| December | 68% | 3% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in October
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D00 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H32 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H86 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H99 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HU68 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY50 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY51 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J08 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J14 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |