Mute Swan vs Whooper Swan vs Bewick's Swan: How to Tell Them Apart

The swan is a large water bird, known for the graceful S-curve of its long neck. The adult has white plumage, though orange can permeate the crown, and the tail is pointed. The bill is an orange-red, a colour which is more vivid in the male, and a black knob at the base of the bill is larger in the male. Juveniles have a pinkish-grey bill and are a dull grey-brown, usually whitening by first autumn.

This is the most common and widespread swan, and is also the only one that is resident. It can be found around a variety of freshwater bodies and it builds its nests on the shore. During winter it can sometimes be found in shielded coastal areas.

Generally a quiet bird, the Mute Swan does omit a variety of snorting and grunting sounds on occasion. It also has a fierce hiss when it's angry, and juvenile birds make a high-pitched whistle.

This is a large water bird that is similar in size to the Mute Swan. Some key differences to note are the bill shape and colour. The Whooper Swan's bill is longer and more triangular, sometimes described as 'Roman-nosed', and it has a bright yellow patch that extends beyond the nostril, ending in a point. Its body is longer body and its wingspan wider than the Bewick's Swan. The adult is almost a pure white, though in spring and summer individual birds can have orange-stained upper necks and heads. The immature Whooper Swan has grey plumage that lightens in winter; it keeps some grey feathers until its second winter. Its bill is reddish-grey until the characteristic yellow takes over. Juveniles are grubby grey and have pale pink bills which darken on the tip. The Whooper Swan typically holds its long, thin neck straight rather than curved, though it has a clear kink at the base. Its tail is square-shaped when it upends.

A few wild pairs stay in northern Britain each year, but for the most part, the Whooper Swan is a visitor in the winter from October to March. Several thousand birds arrive at this time, mostly from the tundra breeding grounds of Iceland. They inhabit a range of varying environments in Britain including lowland coastal farms, flooded meadows and lakeside marshes. Many return to traditional sites each autumn.

It makes a blaring trumpeting or whooping sound.

Bewick's Swan is the smallest of the three swan species seen in the UK. The sexes are similar; both males and females have white plumage, but the juveniles are grey and have a bill that's dark at the tip then pink until its base, which is whitish. The bill darkens into yellow during the first winter. Adults have a black and yellow, wedge-shaped bill that's shorter than the Whooper Swan's, and though the rounded, yellow pattern is highly variable, it does not extend beyond the start of the nostrils. It's not uncommon for the neck and belly to become a stained orange, and when up-ending, the tail has a blunt end.

Bewick's Swan prefers low-lying wet pastures, flooded grasslands, saltmarshes, lakes and reservoirs. This bird visits in the winter and usually goes to traditional sites with thousands of birds. Its migration can be affected by weather, in which case some dispersal occurs, or alternatively, an influx from mainland Europe.

It has a deep, gentle yelp that sounds like 'oop, oop', and it also makes various honking sounds.