BirdLife says swans in Gozo should not be disturbed, and not fed white bread

While the swans that landed in Gozo can still be viewed by the public, people should not cause them distress, BirdLife cautioned yesterday.

The decision to limit any disturbance to the birds as much as possible was taken yesterday by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit and the Veterinary Regulation Directorate together with Gozo Police, in the best interests of the birds’ safety and of the general public.

Unfortunately, BirdLife said, some of the birds, especially the juvenile ones, are visibly weak – probably due to a lack of food, apart from being stressed by the attention they are getting as a result of hundreds of people visiting the area every day. All these factors, together with the worsening weather conditions, will probably mean that the swans will stay here for the next few days.

Although there is not much that can be done, apart from letting nature take its course, there are still are some recommendations that should be followed. These include not getting very close to the birds and not feeding them with white bread. Swans tend to live near or on water and if they are given bread, this can become moist or even com- pletely wet. This means it gets sticky and can become stuck inside the bird’s beak or even block its throat, preventing the swan from feeding and, in some cases, from being able to drink or even breathe, with the inevitable fatal consequences.

Swans basically feed on the stems and roots of water plants, and grass on land, and it is safe to feed them on shredded lettuce, corn-off-the-cob (fresh or canned), peas (defrosted) and a little grated carrot and broccoli. Throw the food into shallow water where the swan can reach it and not on the shore or inland.