The bizarre bird Queen Elizabeth II owns thousands of
<p>You’d think that being the longest reigning British monarch comes with enough perks, like celebrating your birthday twice a year and owning a vault of jewels.</p>
<p>There’s also another perk that comes with being Queen Elizabeth II, which is that she is the technical owner of all “unmarked mute swans swimming in open waters” in the UK.</p>
<p>The royal family’s website notes that the British crown has “held the right to claim ownership” of these animals since the 12th century.</p>
<p>These rights were considered valuable and “were subsequently granted by the monarch to many people and organisations as swans were a prized food, served at banquets and feasts”.</p>
<p>As things have changed over the last 800 years, swans are no longer considered a delicacy in Britain, but the Queen still owns all of them.</p>
<p>All 22,000+ mute swans are counted every year by a group headed by the Queen’s official Swan Market in an event known as “Swan Upping”.</p>
<p>"We will lift the whole family out of the water, we will take them ashore, we weigh them, measure them and check them for any injuries," <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-swans/all-up-queen-elizabeths-swans-checked-and-counted-idUSKCN1UA12P" target="_blank">David Barber, the Queen’s Swan Marker, told Reuters</a> in 2019.</p>
<p>"You have a population of swans that hasn’t changed much since the mid 1800s."</p>
<p>However, the mute swan population is facing threats from non-native species and dog attacks.</p>
<p>"We've had a pretty rough time with...dog attacks, all sorts of things—like mink," <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-48990711" target="_blank">Barber told the BBC</a>.</p>
<p>"They're not indigenous to this country and they're breeding like mad on the river here, and they do take a lot of young cygnets," he said.</p>
<p>Due to COVID-19, this year’s Swan Upping will not be taking place.</p>
<p>“Although not unexpected, it is of course disappointing that members of the public and local schoolchildren will not be able to enjoy Swan Upping this year,” Barber said in a statement.</p>
<p>“It is always a great opportunity for the young people who attend to learn about mute swans, and see first-hand the health checks we carry out on every single family of swans along the river.”</p>
<p>If you’re worried about the welfare of the swans, they’re still being looked after as Swan Upping focuses on conservation and education.</p>
<p>"The Queen’s Swan Marker is working with the Thames Swan Rescue Organisations to continue overseeing swan welfare as usual.</p>
