About

Mute swans (scientific name: Cygnus olor) are an important symbol of the city of Lincoln, dating back to the rebuilding of Lincoln cathedral in 1185. Historically, large juvenile groups would over-winter on the Brayford, but recent surveys suggest that these numbers are declining. Many environmental factors may drive this apparent decline, such as a decreased food availability, aggression aggression between swans for territory, or fishing lines or lead weights in the waterways leading to either a reduction in survival of adult or juvenile swans, or the desertion of young swans from the centre of the city to more suitable territories. 

The Lincoln Swan Project is a collaboration between Keele University and the University of Lincoln. In 2017 we started a programme of colour ringing swans on the waterways in and around Lincoln, with assistance from Kane Brides of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, and Dan Sidley of the Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Hospital. Each swan has a BTO metal ring on one leg, and a yellow plastic ring on the other (see photo below) with the letter L (or Y) followed by three numbers. We have now ringed over 250 swans in and around Lincoln and are starting to get some great data on resightings.