With Bewick’s swans from Siberian tundra to wintering grounds

Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Itinerary

Englishwoman Sacha Dench will follow Bewick’s swans by paramotor on their migration from the breeding grounds in the Russian tundra through 11 countries. The length of the journey to reach the wintering areas of many Bewick’s swans in UK is about 7500 km.

Preliminarily the participants should be in Estonia on October 9^th–13^th, visiting Matsalu, Luitemaa and Tartu. The number of Bewick’s swans has been reduced by about half in the last twenty years. The number of the subspecies (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) that passes Estonia during the autumn migration is estimated at up to 18000 individuals.

Read more about the expedition: LINK

The Estonian University of Life Sciences (Eesti Maaülikool) together with the Estonian Ornithological Society, the Estonian Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet), the Estonian Paramotor Association  (Eesti Tiibvarjuspordi Liit) and the Tartu Nature House (Tartu Loodusmaja) belong to the hundreds of supporters who assist the unique expedition that aims at drawing attention to the factors threatening these swans and the conservation of the species.  

Bewick's swans on autumn migration