A new statute in California will authorize the continuous killing of non-native swans starting next year. This move has been called necessary by some authorities to safeguard the state's depleted wetlands and native waterfowl, while opponents have condemned it as “cruel”.
These large white birds, sought after as ornamental birds, have proliferated quickly across California, where wildlife officials say they degrade habitats and dominate native species.
Recent Law Includes Mute Swans to Non-Native Birds List
Assembly Bill 764, enacted by California's governor earlier this month, places these birds on the list of invasive birds that can be hunted with few restrictions, alongside the English sparrow and starling. The law takes force on 1 January.
“The issue is that their numbers have proliferated and they do a lot of destruction to the wetlands,” explained a public affairs official. “California has lost between 90 and 95% of its former wetlands, and these birds occupy those wetlands and cause significant damage.”
Mute swans can transform wetlands when they move into areas where they have not historically existed.
Ecological Impact of Mute Swans
“Because they’re big birds, they do tend to eat large amounts of vegetation,” noted an bird expert. “They eat submerged plants, plants that thrive with its roots underwater, and they not only ingest large quantities, but they will tend to pull it from the bottom, so they’re disturbing the bottom.”
“They really have the ability to change the character of the wetland a lot, and in a way that will affect, not only the other birds, but for all kinds of other plants and animals,” the biologist continued.
Hostile Nature During Breeding
When they secure a territory, particularly in breeding season when they are defending eggs or chicks, mute swans forcefully drive off other birds that enter their feeding area.
“It’s comparable to taking a 17-year-old high school student and putting him in the school yard at a elementary school,” explained the expert. “He’ll dominate every encounter.”
According to a statement by the fish and wildlife office, mute swans are not covered under the federal wildlife statute since they were brought to North America in the mid-1800s.
Background and Introduction
Mute swans are native to northern and central Eurasia and were imported to the United States by individual collectors to be exhibited at zoos, public parks, and on private estates. Certain birds got free accidentally, while some were set free on purpose.
“To many people, the idea that they’re not original is sort of unclear,” a researcher explained. “If they’ve been present your whole life long, you think of that as a local species. They’ve been in North America for a considerable period.”
Wildlife Challenges
According to a state official, the next biggest danger to California’s native species, after ecosystem degradation, is foreign wildlife.
“This is undoubtedly a concerning animal, but now there’s at least an approach to help manage it,” the spokesperson commented.
Opposition and Criticism
Some groups endorsed the bill. An animal advocacy group issued a declaration urging Californians to contact and email their representatives to reject the bill, which they described “inhumane”.
“This is a last-ditch effort by a declining sportsman sector to add another species to hunt, and we refuse to accept and let it happen!,” states the statement.
Species Details
- The species eat up to eight pounds of vegetation each day
- Their weight is 25 to 30 pounds
- They can grow up to 5.5 feet in length
- The wing measurement can reach nearly eight feet
- Reports indicate serious injuries to young people and animals
“During nesting season or they have chicks, they are extremely hostile and perfectly capable of hurting a human,” a researcher explained.
“They will certainly attack, not only with their beak, but they’ll sort of raise their wings and hit with their wing joints at something they perceive as threatening their territory. They’re capable of breaking your wrist by hitting you.”
This species are still purchased in some states for aesthetic landscaping, to manage water plants, or to deter competing birds. In California, mute swans are designated as a controlled animal and cannot be brought in, moved, or kept without a license.
