Distribution, abundance and habitat choice of Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus breeding in Latvia and Estonia, 1973–2021

Abstract

In recent years the number of breeding Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus in Latvia and Estonia combined has increased from one pair in 1973 to 900–1,200 pairs in 2021, with a similar growth rate in both countries. Sixty-nine percent of confirmed Latvian breeding sites were located in western Latvia during 2018–2021, a stronghold for the species, while in Estonia breeding sites were more widely distributed across the country. In Estonia, Whooper Swans preferred bogs, lakes and coastal waters whereas the vast majority of pairs in Latvia occurred on fish-pond complexes, natural lakes and ponds created by the Eurasian Beaver (“beaver dams”).