Bewick’s Swan

A fascinating and highly readable monograph, showcasing one of the flagship species of wetland conservation in Britain to superb effect. The arrival of thousands of Bewick’s Swans from their Arctic breeding grounds to lakes and wetlands throughout northern and eastern Britain is an unforgettable sight. Popular among both birders and the wider public, these elegant birds are among the best-studied waterfowl in the world. Beginning with the work of the late Sir Peter Scott in the 1950s, Britain’s Bewick’s have been the subject of intensive behavioural study, while their population ecology has provided a similar focus for research. In Bewick’s Swan, Eileen Rees tells the story of these birds in rich detail. Rees discusses their biology in full, with sections on population and distribution, breeding biology, wintering behaviour, food and feeding ecology, taxonomy and phylogeny, migration, and conservation; much original research is included, and there is frequent reference to the Bewick’s sibling subspecies, the Tundra Swan of North America. Personal recollections from a lifetime of study weave through the narrative, which is illuminated by Dafila Scott’s evocative illustrations. “The leading monograph of the year, by a long way.” British Birds, Feb 2007