Rare bird in Jersey attracts international views

A video of a rare bird filmed at a pond in Jersey has attracted international attention.

A bittern, also known as a 'ghost bird' and Britain's loudest bird, was captured on a trail camera at the Wetland Centre in St Ouen by photographer John Ovenden.

National Trust Jersey said the video had received 237,000 views on social media and had been seen by people across Europe, north America and the Middle East.

Bitterns were "driven to extinction" in the 19th century due to drained wetland habitats, but in April 2024 the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said their numbers had increased by 24% - marking "significant conservation progress".

The Trust said a male bittern's "boom" could be heard up to three miles (4.8km) away in spring.

"The Wetland centre is probably one of the best places to observe the bittern in the UK and whilst we currently only have two males that appear each year, the Trust is ever hopeful that with the growth in numbers in the UK that we will hear the boom locally as our male bitterns look for and find a mate," it said.

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