Whooper Swan
VU

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus

UnknownRENPLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whooper_swan

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Whooper Swans face mounting pressure from habitat degradation across their breeding and wintering grounds, with wetland drainage and agricultural intensification reducing suitable nesting sites. Climate change poses an emerging threat by altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes that affect their preferred shallow lake and marsh ecosystems. Power line collisions during migration represent a significant mortality factor, while lead poisoning from fishing weights continues to impact populations despite regulatory efforts in some regions.

Threat summary

Habitat

Whooper Swans inhabit shallow freshwater lakes, marshes, and wetlands during breeding season, preferring areas with emergent vegetation and minimal human disturbance. During winter, they utilize coastal lagoons, estuaries, flooded agricultural fields, and large inland water bodies across temperate regions of Europe and Asia.

FRESHWATER· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Anatidae

Ruddy DuckVU

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

Unknown
Swan GooseEN

Swan Goose

Anser cygnoides

Unknown
Torrent DuckVU

Torrent Duck

Merganetta armata

Unknown
Comb DuckVU

Comb Duck

Sarkidiornis sylvicola

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Whooper Swan classified as Vulnerable?
Whooper Swan is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Whooper Swans face mounting pressure from habitat degradation across their breeding and wintering grounds, with wetland drainage and agricultural intensification reducing suitable nesting sites. Climate change poses an emerging threat by altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes that affect their preferred shallow lake and marsh ecosystems. Power line collisions during migration represent a significant mortality factor, while lead poisoning from fishing weights continues to impact populations despite regulatory efforts in some regions.
Where does Whooper Swan live?
Whooper Swan occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Whooper Swan?
The main threats to Whooper Swan are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.