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Swan Upping is an annual ceremonial activity in England in which mute swans are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released.
Traditionally, the Monarch of the United Kingdom owns all unmarked mute swans on the River Thames. This dates from the Twelfth Century, during which swans were a common food source for royalty. Swan upping is a means of establishing a swan census. Under a Royal Charter of the Fifteenth Century, the Vintners' Company and the Dyers' Company, two Livery Companies of the City of London, are entitled to share in the Sovereign's ownership. They conduct the census through a process of ringing the swan's feet, but the swans are no longer eaten.
Swan upping occurs annually during the third week of July. During the ceremony, the Queen's, the Vintners', and the Dyers' Swan Uppers row up the river in skiffs. Swans caught by the Queen's Swan Uppers remain unmarked, those caught by the Dyers' are ringed on one leg, and those caught by the Vintners are ringed on both legs.
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