Bewick's Swan

White neckband with a black four alpha-numeric code (101T to 299T).

note 1 : 

Yellow legring with a black 4 alpha-numeric code (three numbers and one letter).

note 1: used legring codes are 901A-999A, 000E-176E and 260E-335E.

note 2 : birds have also a yellow neckband with the same code, but sometimes this neckband is lost.

note 3 : The Netherlands Institute of Ecology is interested in relations of ringed and tracked swans: are they paired, do they have cygnets/siblings/parents? Please upload your sightings including this additional information to www.geese.org."

note 4 :

White legring with a black 4 alpha-numeric code (three numbers and one letter).

note 1: used legring codes are 200E-259E and 350E-383E.

note 2 : birds have also a white neckband with the same code, but sometimes this neckband is lost.

note 3 : The Netherlands Institute of Ecology is interested in relations of ringed and tracked swans: are they paired, do they have cygnets/siblings/parents? Please upload your sightings including this additional information to cr-birding.submit

note 4 :

Yellow neckband with a black four alpha-numeric code.

note 1 : used codes are 011T-199T and since 2024 : 300T-309T. 

note 2 : all rings are GPS trackers from Ornitela. Code is only visible on one side of the ring.

note 3 : collaboration with Dutch colour ring project and using some of their neckbands ending with E. Used codes are 326E-332E.

note 4 : The Netherlands Institute of Ecology is interested in relations of ringed and tracked swans: are they paired, do they have cygnets/siblings/parents? Please upload your sightings including this additional information to www.geese.org.

note 5 : see https://zwergschwan.de/infos-senderschwane

note 6 :
 

White neckband + GPS transmitter with a black 3 alpha-numeric code : number / number / letter 'X'.

note 1 :

White neckring (with GPS-tracker) with a black 4 alpha-numeric code (three numbers and one letter).

note 1: used neckband codes are 200E-259E and 350E-383E.

note 2 : birds have also a white legring with the same code.

note 3 : the neckbands contain a GPS tracker and solar panels. They may appear yellowish or yellow due to decoloration of the plastic material, especially neckbands 350E-383E.

note 4 : The Netherlands Institute of Ecology is interested in relations of ringed and tracked swans: are they paired, do they have cygnets/siblings/parents? Please upload your sightings including this additional information to cr-birding.submit.

note 4 :

White neckband with a black 4 alpha-numeric code : number/number/number/ letter 'X'.

note 1 : birds will be ringed from 2015 onwards in Russia, Greece (Evros Delta) and Belgium.

note 2 : during Feb. 2021 some birds have been ringed and GPS-tagged in Belgium. Migration to be followed on the above mentioned website.

note 3 : [new] Follow the migration path of birds equipped with GPS logger in our tracking application

White neckring with a black two numeric code.

note 1 : please note that the code is not permanent (hand written onto the collar with marker pen) and will eventually wash off.

note 2 : the swans have also been marked with the usual plastic leg-rings (white, yellow & green leg rings)

note 3 : by February 2014 8 Bewicks were caught in the UK and fitted with neck collars of which have an in-build GPS.

note 4 : used codes are 02, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 10 & 11.

note 5 : 8 birds have a white neckband and a green legring.

note 6 :  

White ring with a black 3 alpha code (on one leg) and metal ring (on other leg).

note 1 : also a 3 alpha-numeric code is used.
Standards used for legrings.
* females always ringed left, males right.
* a white ring means that the age couldn’t be identified, so older than 2 or 3 years. Birds of which the age could be identified, receive a yellow ring (juvenile, birds of the year, 3cy-old birds).
* all birds ringed in Martin Mere start with letter U with an unknown age (so colour white). Birds with a known age (so colour yellow) start with the letter X.
* all birds ringed in Slimbridge start with letter T with an unknown age (so colour white). Birds with know age (so colour yellow) start with the letter Y or Z.
* all birds ringed in Welney, only by Tony Martin, start with letter ‘A’ with an unknown age and with a known age (so colour yellow)  the series 500 are used.
* in the past birds in their breeding territories were ringed with a white ring (unknown age) starting with the letter ‘T’ for adult birds and with the series 300 and 400 for known age birds. Birds ringed during summer 2004 in the Pechora-Delta/Russia have the same combinations as the adult birds (age unknown, so white ring) : 11A-Z, 12A-Z, 13A-Z, 14A-Z, 15A-Z. Birds with a known age received the yellow 400-serie.
* series starting with B, S or E are used long time ago, birds are probably already dead. [it seems that an occasional bird is still alive] E-code were used in Martin-Mere, while S was used in Slimbridge.
* letters like E, G, K, M, O, Q, R and W are not used in end-combinations.

Green ring with a white 3 alpha code (on one leg) and metal ring (on other leg).

note 1 : used codes are AAA-AZZ and during summer 2012 used codes are AKA-ALA.

note 2 : birds ringed from 2010 onwards. During 2011 some 62 birds (of which 2juv.) were ringed by Maria Wieloch and Rissian scientist in the Petchora delta.   

note 3 : Standards used for legrings.
* females always ringed left, males right.
* a white ring means that the age couldn’t be identified, so older than 2 or 3 years. Birds of which the age could be identified, receive a yellow ring (juvenile, birds of the year, 3cy-old birds).
* all birds ringed in Martin Mere start with letter U with an unknown age (so colour white). Birds with a known age (so colour yellow) start with the letter X.
* all birds ringed in Slimbridge start with letter T with an unknown age (so colour white). Birds with know age (so colour yellow) start with the letter Y or Z.
* all birds ringed in Welney, only by Tony Martin, start with letter ‘A’ with an unknown age and with a known age (so colour yellow)  the series 500 are used.
* in the past birds in their breeding territories were ringed with a white ring (unknown age) starting with the letter ‘T’ for adult birds and with the series 300 and 400 for known age birds. Birds ringed during summer 2004 in the Pechora-Delta/Russia have the same combinations as the adult birds (age unknown, so white ring) : 11A-Z, 12A-Z, 13A-Z, 14A-Z, 15A-Z. Birds with a known age received the yellow 400-serie.
* series starting with B, S or E are used long time ago, birds are probably already dead. [it seems that an occasional bird is still alive] E-code were used in Martin-Mere, while S was used in Slimbridge.
* letters like E, G, K, M, O, Q, R and W are not used in end-combinations.