Losses of Mute Swans in England in the winter of 1962-63

Abstract

The cold winter of 1962-63 led to a marked decline in the numbers of Mute Swans in England, though no precise estimate of the losses suffered is yet obtainable. The number of recoveries of ringed swans was exceptionally high in early March, at the end of the cold spell. Casualties attributed to cold were mostly found in late January. Losses due to collisions with overhead wires were abnormally low in January and February 1963. Mortality was much lower in the north-west than elsewhere.