Booming year for the bittern, say conservationists

Conservationists are celebrating a record year for bitterns after a monitoring project revealed numbers had increased by a fifth since last year.

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

Results from the RSPB and Natural England's annual project found 283 "booming" males counted in 2024, a rise of 20% in 12 months.

Simon Wotton, RSPB senior conservation scientist, said: "These bittern breeding success stories are a shining example of effective conservation efforts undertaken by dedicated organisations, landowners and volunteers."

Bitterns are known for their loud "booming" call, produced by the males, which can be heard up to three miles away.

The improved numbers represented the biggest jump in the population since monitoring began in 1990, the RSPB and Natural England said.

The birds suffered a drop in numbers to only 11 booming males by 1997, but conservationists, led by the RSPB and Natural England, have helped restore inland reedbed habitats after research identified the importance of thriving wetlands with high densities of fish as crucial for their recovery.

The majority of the UK population was now found in reedbeds safe from coastal flooding, the organisations added.

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, and Mr Wotton said: "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."

He added: "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."

The birds, although rare, 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.

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