---
title: "The Swans Get Their Checkups: 46th Swan Roundup"
description: Lakeland's royal swans got rounded up by boat this week for their 46th annual wellness exams. A 69-year tradition that exists nowhere else.
---

[Evvnt Local News](https://blog.evvnt.com/local)

# [The Swans Get Their Checkups: 46th Swan Roundup](https://blog.evvnt.com/local/central-florida-lakeland-swan-roundup-46th)

 Written by [Richard Green](https://blog.evvnt.com/local/author/richard-green) | Oct 6, 2026, 5:27:16 PM

Only in Lakeland do the swans get an annual doctor's visit — by boat.

The 46th annual Swan Roundup kicked off Tuesday at Lake Morton, with city crews gathering the flock by boat starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday brings the wellness exams: vets weigh and examine every bird and microchip the young cygnets before they're released back to the lake.

This isn't just a quirky photo op. The tradition started in 1980, and the swans themselves go back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II gifted Lakeland its original pair. The city spends about $10,000 a year caring for the flock, and the vet work is donated. The parks director calls them a cherished treasure, loved by families for generations.

He's not wrong. Generations of Lakeland kids grew up feeding these birds. The roundup is the city's way of saying: they're ours, and we take care of ours.

Long live the swans. All hail the roundup.

[View full post](https://blog.evvnt.com/local/central-florida-lakeland-swan-roundup-46th)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Richard Green"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-11-02T23:54:54.742Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-10-06T17:27:16Z",
  "headline" : "The Swans Get Their Checkups: 46th Swan Roundup",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 675,
    "url" : "https://blog.evvnt.com/hubfs/wow-news/central-florida/central-florida-lakeland-swan-roundup-46th-1200x675.jpeg",
    "width" : 1200
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://blog.evvnt.com/local/central-florida-lakeland-swan-roundup-46th",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Local News"
  }
}
```