Abbotsbury Swannery

Adopt a Swan

When you adopt an Abbotsbury swan, you can follow it through its life by its unique ring number. Ringing swans allows us to build a life history of each individual bird, gathering lots of interesting facts such as: who they mate with, where they nest and how long they live. All of this information helps us to manage our swans and improve our knowledge.

 Adoption Form

Four swans are resting on nests made of reeds near a water body.

What your adoption includes

For just £25 annually, you will receive:

  • An update about your swan
  • A newsletter from the Swannery

When you set up your adoption, you will also receive a welcome pack that includes:

  • A personalised adoption certificate
  • An explanation about your swan's details and the adoption scheme
  • Mini booklets about the Swannery, Swans, Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve, and a children’s activity pack
  • An adoption gift
Swans gathered along a shoreline with a blue sky and water in the background.

Support upkeep and conservation efforts

The swan adoption scheme is run by the Swannery Trust (no. 1040740), a charity that supports the preservation and protection of our swans and other wildlife.

Abbotsbury Swannery is part of the Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve. The Reserve is a site of international importance for wildlife and is home not just to our Mute Swans, but also a variety of rare and protected species.

Your donation goes towards the protection and preservation of the unique colony and our conservation work on the Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve. We ask you to make your donations through a standing order. This greatly reduces our administrative costs. You are at liberty to cancel this arrangement at any time.

Abbotsbury Mute Swans are wild birds. They are free to move around the Nature Reserve, and some may leave the Fleet completely. Because of this, the amount of information we are able to compile on some of them may be minimal.

A swan sitting on a nest surrounded by several fluffy cygnets.

How to adopt a swan

Download the adoption form, complete it, and return to:

Abbotsbury Swan Adoption
c/o Wild Chesil Centre
Portland Beach Road
Portland, Dorset DT4 9XE

Gift Aid

The Swannery Trust can reclaim £6.25 of your tax from HM Revenue and Customs on your £25.00 donation every year, through gift aid. All we require is your name and home address (which we will only share with HM Revenue and Customs, when requested) and we will do the rest.

Simply read the pledge and complete the declaration on your adoption form.

Adopt an Abbotsbury Swan Today! 

 Click here to fill out an adoption form

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