Photo: Stan K | Unsplash
Numbers of whooper swans are predicted to double in the UK by 2030, thanks to efforts to protect the wetlands where they winter. Researchers led by the universities of Exeter and Helsinki analyzed 30 years of data on more than 10,000 wild swans and found survival rates were significantly higher at nature reserves in low-lying coastal areas and population growth was so strong that it boosted numbers elsewhere. Whooper swans from Iceland overwinter in the UK between October and March. "Our findings provide strong evidence that nature reserves are hugely beneficial for whooper swans, and could dramatically increase their numbers in the UK," says Dr. Andrea Soriano-Redondo. Highly protected areas that allow nature to recover are at the heart of a global effort by nearly 200 countries to protect 30% of lands and seas for nature by 2030 in an attempt to halt and reverse biodiversity decline.
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