Australian Black Swan

[GrumpyOldGit]

We could be on the brink of another non-native species causing serious harm to British native wildlife. The Black Swan is known to be very aggressive, attacking and drowning Mute Swan cygnets and trampling Mute Swan nests, destroying eggs. I have been in contact with DEFRA and the Black Swan receives no protection so can be controlled humanely by landowners. I realise that many people will be against control of any kind but this could very quickly go the way of the Grey Squirrel, Canada Goose, Signal Crayfish, Mink etc. Please spread the word and let's try to either capture or kill Black Swans before control becomes impossible, like it has with the above examples.

[htcdude]

Does include collection birds like at WWT or Leeds Castle in Kent? Or just escaped ones?

Nige

[Littlesparrow]

Where exactly are they causing a problem?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Littlesparrow

Where exactly are they causing a problem?

New Zealand!

I'm not aware of any big problems yet with them in the UK, though they do occasionally breed in the wild here. Mute Swans also display all those same characteristics towards geeese that try to breed near them.

Though Mute Swan is historically a native it was probably wiped out by hunting + most of the current birds are derived from introduced stock.

[david156]

There's an odd few here in Norfolk but nothing to worry about. But the same thing was probably said about Ruddy Ducks!

[GrumpyOldGit]

Nige - Hopefully those in collections are pinioned to stop them escaping.

Littlesparrow - definite sighting of Mute Swan nest and egg trampling and parent chasing in Berkshire, but anywhere they already reside will be having issues. They are so aggressive.

Yup - NZ have loads now, thought to be from introduced stock, although some have flown over. Mind you, they filled a gap left when the native swans were hunted out.

They may not be a problem now, but they will be if they are not controlled.

Yes, Ruddy Ducks - another very good example of no action until it was too late. Another that has just been in the news again - the Spanish Bluebell. I hadn't realised that they have been here in the wild for over 100 years!

Just found the Wikipedia entry and I think I'm much too late - the Black has been the emblem of Dawlish in Devon for 40 years. They have a colony there which I doubt they will want removed!

I reckon that years from now you will be telling your kids/grandkids about this thread when the Black Swan is breeding all over the UK :-)

[Adam Cheeseman]

Not sure that the New Zealand Swan Cygnus atratus sumnerensis, a subspecies of the Black Swan, was hunted to extinction as it is apparently only known from fossil records. Some regard the Chatham Islands form to be a separate species. The Australian Black Swan Cygnus atratus was not known in NZ prior to 1864 when it was introduced and again in 1890 and as you say has become problematical in some areas. Source of this information is Wikipedia so a pinch of salt may be required.

Cheers,

Adam

[faz]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldGit

Nige - Hopefully those in collections are pinioned to stop them escaping.

Littlesparrow - definite sighting of Mute Swan nest and egg trampling and parent chasing in Berkshire, but anywhere they already reside will be having issues. They are so aggressive.

Yup - NZ have loads now, thought to be from introduced stock, although some have flown over. Mind you, they filled a gap left when the native swans were hunted out.

They may not be a problem now, but they will be if they are not controlled.

Yes, Ruddy Ducks - another very good example of no action until it was too late. Another that has just been in the news again - the Spanish Bluebell. I hadn't realised that they have been here in the wild for over 100 years!

I reckon that years from now you will be telling your kids/grandkids about this thread when the Black Swan is breeding all over the UK :-)

Just found the Wikipedia entry and I think I'm much too late - the Black has been the emblem of Dawlish in Devon for 40 years. They have a colony there which I doubt they will want removed!

i live right by dawlish and yes there is around 6 pairs breeding but in a controlled manner the young are passed on to other collections and yes dawlish is famous for the black sawns it draws a lot of visitors who come to see the the black swans

[GrumpyOldGit]

Thanks Adam - would that be a pinch of salt on your roast swan?

No worries Faz, I'm not on my way down there to sort them out It's thought that there are too few breeding pairs in the UK to be viable, but I bet they said that about all the other non-natives too......

[~T~]

One of my first vivid memories as a kid is one of these things attacking my Gran ata wildlife park. It was jumping at her and she was beating it back with her handbag...it was hilarious