Bitterns, the loudest bird in Britain, have had another record-breaking year with 228 booming males counted in 2021.
Bitterns went extinct in the UK in the 1870s due to persecution and draining of their wetland habitat for agriculture.
Restoration, recreation, and protection of wetlands, which also act as natural carbon sponges and help prevent floods, has boosted their numbers.
Bitterns, Britain’s loudest bird, have had another record-breaking year with 228 booming males counted in 2021, up from 209 in 2019, according to new survey results from the RSPB and Natural England (recording in 2020 was affected by the coronavirus pandemic). This member of the heron family went extinct across the UK in the 1870s due to a combination of over-hunting for food and draining of their wetland homes for agriculture. Bitterns returned to Britain in the early 20th century, and restoration of wetlands has allowed their numbers to more than double in a decade, with over half on RSPB reserves.
Bitterns are well-camouflaged, shy birds that like to hide in reedbeds, so the most reliable way to count them in the breeding season is to listen for the male’s booming foghorn call which can be heard from three miles away. Numbers were very low when the first annual surveys began in 1990 and in 1997 there were only 11 males across the whole UK, leaving them on the edge of a second national extinction.
Simon Wotton, RSPB Senior Conservation Scientist, said: “The bittern’s recovery shows how quickly nature can bounce back when given the chance – and we all benefit from creating healthy spaces for wildlife. People get such joy from hearing the bittern’s mighty foghorn-like song, and their wetland home also protects people from flooding and helps to soak up carbon. It’s a win-win for wildlife and people, and we hope that one day the boom of the bittern will be heard around the UK once more.
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Posted On: 25/03/2022