Swans in London: types, best places to see and photograph

White swans are quite common in the UK. There are more than 8 000 of swans in London .
These brilliant birds were a lavishness in medieval time period, a augury of mobility and high condition. There is a caption that swans were brought to Great Britain in the twelfth century by Richard I. Although egg white swans are most likely native to the nation as some of the archaeological attest suggests .

There is a misconception that the Queen owns all the swans in Great Britain. When in fact the Queen only owns overlooked mute swans in overt waters. But, because it is identical difficult to keep chase of all of them, lone the swans in Thames river are counted.

There is an 800-year old tradition of counting the swans in Thames river ( known as affirm up ). It takes place every year at the end of July. As the roll up shows there are around 1000 swans in Thames river around London and adjusting areas .

Types of Swans in London

You can spot five types of swans in the united kingdom : mute swans, Bewick ’ second swans, Whooper swans, Trumpeter swans and black swans. The most coarse of them are mute swans .
Mute swans are large, white birds with long crook necks and orange beaks ( with a blacken root ). There are about 6 400 pairs of mute swans in the UK. Although, in winter there are vitamin a many as 74 000 swans in the UK, as a lot of the birds migrate to Great Britain to escape winter .

• Mute Swan

Bewick’s swans and whooper swans are identical rare can be largely seen in winter, when they migrate from Iceland and Siberia. Bewick ’ south and Whooper swans have yellow beaks with a fiddling spot of black. They look very similar, although whooping crane swans are larger and have more yellow on their bills .

• Whooper Swan

Trumpeter swans can be besides seen near London. They have amply black beaks ( with a little salmon color stripe inside the beak ). Black semblance extends from the beak up to their eyes .

• Trumpeter Swan

Black swans are rather rare. Although you can hush find them in the UK and in London deoxyadenosine monophosphate well .

Where to photograph swans in London

Swans can be found in many ponds and lakes of London parks. You can besides see them in Thames River .

London Parks

There are 8 royal Parks in London and in each of them you ’ ll be able to find at least a pair of white mute swans. In some parks you can even spot total darkness swans.

The best place where you can see a bunch of white swans is Kensington Park .

Swans at Kensington Park

Kensington Park is one of the best places to encounter and photograph roll It is located in the centre of London ( Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ). This park has a small pond full of swans, ducks and goose close to the Kensington Palace .

Swans at Bushy Park

In a more natural habitat swans can be seen at Bushy Park ( for case at Heron Pond ). There are not as many swans as in Kensington Park, but they are swimming in a beautiful pond, surrounded by fleeceable trees and bushes .
Bushy park is a great rate for swan photography ( one of the best ) as the greenery makes a gorgeous natural setting .

Where to see black swans

For a retentive time black swans were considered mysterious birds. Their home land is Australia, but you can see them in the UK ampere well .

Black swans in London

In London black swans can be largely found in wildlife parks. But one of the best places to see and photograph them is credibly St.James Park ( near the Buckingham palace ). There are several pairs of black swans there, so you are most likely to spot some of them .
Black Swan at St. Jame’s Park, London, UK

Black swans near London

Near London there are several locations where you can see black swans. They can be found in the ponds of big estates like the Audley End House ( about 55 miles from London ).

Black swans at Leeds Castle

The best location to photograph black swans is Leeds palace. It is located 60 miles from London ( about one and a half hour campaign by car ). The castle is known for its black swans. They are besides the symbol of the castle. There are about 40 black swans there .

At Leeds castle you will besides be able to see 4 whooper swans and 2 trumpeter swans, which are identical rare in the UK, as it is not their family estate .

Whooper swans come from Iceland. While herald swans live in North America. You can easily identify trumpeter swans by their black beaks and whoopers by their yellow beaks ( with some black ) .