British Swans: Protected But Still Hunted
National and international laws have been put in place to protect many species of wildfowl from the population declines, and even extinctions, that can be caused by unsustainable hunting. Despite this, there are regular sightings of pellet-ridden birds; however, few studies investigate the prevalence of this type of anthropogenic damage or its long-term impacts. These are likely to be particularly problematic for long-lived species such as migratory whooper (Cygnus cygnus) and Bewick's (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) swans. These birds produce few young per year and do not start breeding until they are several years old; thus, the health of swan populations could be seriously impacted by decreases in adult condition and increases in adult mortality. read more