Local Orlando residents are fighting for improved care, habitat quality, and infrastructure improvement for Lake Eola swans and surrounding water birds. The pressure is mounting on Mayor Buddy Dyer, Commissioner Patty Sheehan and the entire Orlando City Council.
Residents and advocates for changes to save the swans and water birds will be holding a press conference at Orlando City Hall on Monday, January 26th at 1:30pm. They will meet at the front steps of City Hall to call for expert avian care and oversight, habitat cleanliness and water quality, as well as necessary infrastructure improvements. Then they will attend the City Council meeting to provide public comment on the record for Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Commissioners.
The effort is led by longtime swan advocate Andrew Marshall, who has been actively involved in the quality of life and care of the Lake Eola swans for years.
“This is about stewardship,” said Andrew Marshall. “When a city places animals in a public space and assumes their care, it assumes full responsibility for their well-being. Lake Eola is the heart of downtown Orlando, the swans are part of the city’s identity, and with that comes an obligation to protect what the city has chosen to steward. This is not about blame — it is about responsibility.”
At issue is the loss of nearly half of Lake Eola’s swan flock, along with other water birds, reportedly due to avian influenza.
“While this is a city issue, we at the County certainly feel the pain the community is witnessing with such a substantial impact to our local wildlife,” Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe stated. “We are here to do whatever we can to assist the city with viable solutions to ensure the health and well-being of Lake Eola, surrounding lakes and ponds, swans, and all wildlife.”
Many Orlando residents have expressed concern online, with a large number unaware that the swans’ wings are clipped to prevent them from leaving the lakes where they are placed. This effectively creates an enclosed environment, without fencing, limiting the birds’ ability to escape environmental stressors. Additionally, swans are not native to Florida, further underscoring the responsibility of human stewardship.
“We plan to bring solutions and ideas to address the recent deaths of swans, and other water birds, at Lake Eola and to address the future stewardship of the iconic flock,” Marshall concluded.
At the time of publication, over 2,000 people had signed the “Protect Lake Eola Swans: All Call for Responsible Stewardship” Change.org petition to support this local effort.
The City of Orlando confirmed Lake Eola swan and wild bird deaths and provided an update recently, but the city continues to fail to resolve the ongoing issue or address the community concerns that are mounting. This issue is far from over, and Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando City Commissioners can no longer hide or avoid responsibility to do more for the iconic swans and our local environment.