Swan upping: Royal cygnet numbers drop by 40% in a year

A historic royal census, known as "swan upping", has revealed a 40% drop in the number of cygnets on the River Thames, compared with last year.

The decline has been blamed on avian flu but also a growing problem of violence, including shootings, catapult attacks and dogs killing swans.

Only 94 cygnets were found on the five-day search of the Thames.

The King's swan marker, David Barber, said the result was "disappointing" but, because of avian flu, expected.

Last week saw the colourful spectacle of counting swans, but the outcome has been a much more sombre result.

The impact of avian flu had been "horrendous, terrible to see," said Mr Barber, who was in charge of the count, which covered the Thames from London to Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

Down from 155 in 2022, it was the lowest number of cygnets for seven years. But those found had been "in good condition", Mr Barber said.

Another factor in the decline was high flood-water washing away nests.

But there were also concerns about "vandalism", including:

This was the first "swan upping" carried out under the insignia of King Charles, in an annual event dating back to the 12th Century.

Teams row up the river, dressed in scarlet outfits, stopping to count, weigh and measure any young swans they find.

"Swan upping" began as the Crown protecting its ownership of swans, but it is now about wildlife conservation. Swans were once a delicacy in medieval banquets but are now a protected species.

You can see more royal stories in the weekly BBC News Royal Watch Newsletter - sign up here from within the UK. or here, from outside the UK.