Conservationists hail record year for UK’s loudest bird after previous concern

Conservationists are celebrating a record year for bitterns as the population of the UK’s loudest bird was found to have increased by 20% last year.

Large-scale efforts to protect the well-camouflaged heron in recent decades have stopped the species’ loss altogether.

The males produce a loud “booming” call when trying to attract a mate, which can be heard up to three miles away.

Results from the RSPB and Natural England’s annual bittern monitoring project found 283 “booming” males counted in 2024, marking a rise of one-fifth since the previous year.

It also comes as by far the biggest jump in their numbers since monitoring began in 1990, the organisations said.

Bitterns went extinct in the UK in the late 1800s as a result of persecution and habitat loss, before returning to Norfolk in 1900.

However, the birds suffered another drop in numbers to just 11 booming males by 1997.

Conservationists led by the RSPB and Natural England have since worked to restore inland reedbed habitats after scientific research identified the importance of thriving wetlands with high densities of fish as crucial for bittern recovery.

The majority of the UK population is now found in reedbeds that are safe from coastal flooding, they said.

Volunteers and conservation site teams monitor numbers by listening out and recording booming males during spring.

The 2024 survey recorded booming from 12 new sites, further highlighting the success of the evidence-based conservation work, the charities said.

Simon Wotton, RSPB senior conservation scientist, said: “Wetlands are incredible places for nature and these bittern breeding success stories are a shining example of effective conservation efforts undertaken by dedicated organisations, landowners and volunteers.

“It is fantastic to see bittern numbers increasing across the country – notably on RSPB nature reserves – thanks to the hard work of staff to create safe havens for this iconic species. With the arrival of spring, now is the best time to listen out for their famous boom.

“As valuable reedbed habitat remains threatened by rising sea levels due to climate change, these vital breeding sites continue to provide important refuge for bitterns and other wetland species.

“With bittern previously threatened with extinction, their recovery is a clear example of how dedicated conservation action combined with the right leadership and resources, can help us rise to the challenges we face in this nature and climate emergency.”

The birds are still rare but can be heard booming at many nature reserves across England and Wales, including RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire, RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire, RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset, and RSPB Valley Wetlands in Anglesey.