Swans from the Queen’s own flock at Windsor are feared to have been killed by bird flu
Swans from the Queen’s own flock at Windsor are feared to have been killed by bird flu.
Seven of the birds – a tenth of the entire flock – are understood to have died from the deadly avian influenza amid fears the virus may spread.
It is understood at least 13 birds are being examined by officials and the Queen is being kept updated as experts strive to pinpoint exactly what killed them.
David Barber, the Queen’s official Swan Marker, who is responsible for the 800-year tradition of carrying out the annual census of Thames swans, told the Sun: ‘We are deeply saddened by the loss.’
And Royal biographer Penny Junor said the Queen would be profoundly upset about the deaths.
‘She is an animal lover and if they have bird flu it’s horrible.’
Another source said: ‘Bird flu is feared to have struck the Windsor swan flock. They are waiting for the tests to come back but everyone suspects the worst. The results are expected early next week.’
Four wildfowl were killed by the H5N6 strain at Amwell Nature Reserve in Hertfordshire just two weeks ago, which led to Defra introducing an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone on January 18.
And eighty swans died amid an outbreak at Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset, in January last year.
At least nine of the birds tested positive for the H5N8 strain at the swannery, owned by Charlotte Townshend, one of Britain’s richest women and the only person in Britain apart from the Queen entitled to own swans.
All bird keepers are now legally required to follow strict biosecurity measures.
The Crown owns all mute swans – the most common of the UK’s three species – found on open water in Britain (pictured, the number of swans, broods and cygnets are counted during a survey)
The Crown owns all mute swans – the most common of the UK’s three species – found on open water in Britain.
The 2016 official census of the birds found 72 at Windsor.
An outbreak at Windsor was unlikely to lead to a cull, according to a Defra spokesman, who told the Sun: ‘There would only be a cull if it’s a bird involved in the food chain, poultry for example.’
The Windsor swans are known to be of particular interest to the Queen, who answered a letter in September from a five-year-old girl who asked if she could keep one.
The reply to Lyndsay Sampson read: ‘The Queen was encouraged to know of your interest in our native birdlife.’