Suspected avian flu: 'Horrendous’ number of dead and sick swans found in RBWM

A ‘horrendous’ number of dead and sick swans have been found along the River Thames following an outbreak of suspected avian flu, a swan charity has said.

Bray-based swan rehabilitation centre Swan Support has so far responded to around 48 swan deaths in Windsor since Saturday, January 17 and seven in Maidenhead, while numbers are also rising in the Caversham area.

Official confirmation of an avian flu outbreak from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) can take time due to current pressures on the system.

But the post-mortem results of one swan from Windsor, published on February 5, were a confirmed case of bird flu, according to Swan Support founder Wendy Hermon.

She said it was unusual for the virus to spread upstream from Windsor and Maidenhead to Caversham and Reading.

However, the concentration of swan deaths in Windsor and Caversham may be due to non-breeding flocks rather than the ‘odd ones dotted around’ Maidenhead.

“In Windsor, you might have a couple of hundred, in Caversham [too], but in Maidenhead, you’ve got pairs and maybe five or six, so the number of swans isn’t groups,” Wendy said.

“The reason flocks are there in the first place is caused by humans feeding them, so they’re institutionalised to that part of the river – they don’t know any different.

“It would be wrong to stop feeding them now because that’s not what they’re used to – it would be cruel at this time of year.

“If I could turn the clock back a couple of hundred years and people didn’t feed them, maybe they’d spread out more.”

Symptoms of avian influenza seen by the charity include lethargy, swollen heads, closed or runny eyes, breathing difficulties, abnormal head and neck movements, spinning in circles and, in severe cases, bleeding from the eyes.

Wendy said the speed and scale of the deaths are particularly concerning, as they have lost more swans in a shorter period of time than a previous outbreak in 2022.

“Last time we noticed the odd sick one, whereas this time we must have counted 20 swans looking poorly. It was horrendous,” she added.

“It was quite scary when it first appeared because my immediate concern was ‘How many are we going to lose?’

“For a whole week and a half, it was bad, and I thought, ‘I don’t know how much we can take of this dying’.”

Swan Support has urged the public not to touch sick or dead birds, to wash hands and footwear after visiting waterways, and to spread out swan food to prevent birds from congregating.

“I think our rescuers have been amazing,” said Wendy.

“It has taken a toll on them. It’s not a nice thing to deal with, especially swans we know and have seen for a long time.”

“It's been so busy – it's unbelievable. It does affect us mentally – we’re not robots.

“We picked up one yesterday, and I’ve never seen anything like it – haemorrhaged to its eyes from bird flu.

“In the 30 years I’ve been doing this, I’ve never seen it so bad in one bird – it's like a massacre. It’s really sad.”

Even well-behaved dogs can cause serious stress to already weakened birds, Wendy said, and owners are being asked to keep pets on leads in wildlife-rich areas.

This warning follows a swan receiving veterinary treatment after being attacked by a spaniel on Wednesday afternoon near Thames Valley Athletics Centre in Eton.

“That was so unnecessary. People need to be more mindful of their surroundings,” said Wendy.

“This poor cygnet has probably survived the worst disease that he would have been around in, and now he’s been ragged about by a dog.

“The swan may not even survive its injuries.

“A lot of swans, geese and ducks can’t keep up with the river flow, so they come onto the banks, vulnerable to people with their dogs off-leash.

“The cygnet ran into the water, and the dog ran into the river to get the swan, so they don’t really stand a chance.”

England is currently designated an avian influenza prevention zone, meaning strict biosecurity and hygiene measures are in place by law to limit the spread of the virus.

Swan Support continues to remove dead birds to help reduce contamination, but hasn’t found a body in Windsor for nearly a week.

“We’ve been up there today (Wednesday), but because the river is flowing so fast, they could die and be washed over here before we even know that they’re dead,” said Wendy.

Anyone who finds a dead or injured swan in Berkshire is asked to contact Swan Support on 07968 868172 or 01628 876336, or email info@swansupport.org.uk.

Dead wild birds can also be reported directly to Defra via its online reporting system or helpline on 03459 33 55 77.