Whooper Swan

The ringing program of Whooper Swans runs in Lithuania and Latvia since 2008. Juveniles, breeders and moulting swans are caught and ringed in summer, but also few birds are ringed during migration and wintering. Until now c.300 Whooper Swans have been ringed in Lithuania with blue neck collars with white codes: 7C00-7C99, 2H00-2H99, 3H00-3H99, 4H00-4H99.

The first birds started to breed in Lithuania 25 years ago and at present we have 80-100 pairs of breeding Whooper Swans.  One of the main interests is in dispersion and the expansion mechanism of Whooper Swans with Lithuanian origin.

The researchers are looking forward to observations which provide very valuable information about Whooper Swan migration and ecology. We would be pleased to receive all observations. The resightings of swans marked in Lithuania can be entered directely into www.geese.org.

Blue neck collars with codes: 1C00-1C99, 2C00-2C99, 3C00-3C99, 4C00-4C99, 6C00-6C99, 0E00-0E99, 1E00-1E99, 2E00-2E99, 3E00-3E99, 4E00-4E99, 5E00-5E99 have been used in Latvia.  Please also submit such observations into www.geese.org.

Blue neckband with 4 white digits (1C23)

Lithuania 2008 - now
Latvia 2008 - now
 

yellow neckband with 4 black digits (1R23)

Poland 2008 - now
Germany 2008 - now                                     Russia 2011-now

 

There are other projects (Germany, Hungary, Denmark, and Poland; see example of yellow neckband above on right) that use neck collars; please see cr-birding.org

If you have any questions or inquiries about the Whooper Swan projects please contact:

Julius Morkunas (Lithuania) or Dmitrijs Boiko (Latvia)