Swan Song?

Swans are said to be much loved birds by the British. They are admired for their peacefulness and gracefulness. Swans are, however, especially vulnerable to bird 'flu. Recently, dozens of Mute swans and their juvenile cygnets died from this viral infection around Stratford-upon-Avon. As well as being more susceptible to bird 'flu than other bird species, dead swans are also more obvious to the public than smaller, drab casualties. In spite of swans being generally appreciated by people in the UK, we do seem to go out of our way to damage them (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/06/britain-loves-swans-so-why-do-we-cause-them-untold-harm). Swans are frequently attacked by pet dogs. Our Water Company's habit, of discharging raw human sewage into rivers where swans live, also doesn't help. Proliferating, intensively-stocked chicken and turkey farms can be foci for both pollution and infecting wild birds. The tendency of people to litter river banks with discarded fishing lines and plastics also especially endangers swans. Some pathetic, weird folk even shoot these relatively tame birds with air guns.