Spoonbill breeding success sparks renewed hope for iconic wetland species - RSPB
Spoonbills on track for another successful year on RSPB reserves as first pair breed in Cambridgeshire since the 17th century.
- Rare breeding bird on track for another successful year on RSPB nature reserves including the first breeding Spoonbills in Cambridgeshire since the 17th century.
- Yorkshire nature reserve set for record breeding season with nine chicks, nicknamed ‘Teaspoons’, already having fledged.
- Dedicated conservation efforts have created the perfect wetland habitats for Spoonbills to thrive when they have previously gone extinct in the UK.
Spoonbills are on track for another successful year, with birds breeding at multiple RSPB nature reserves across the UK, demonstrating how habitat management plays a vital role in nature conservation. The iconic wetland species, considered a rare breeding bird, used to be a common sight in the UK but was driven to extinction due to the draining of the East Anglian Fens and hunting.
There has been continued breeding successes this year for the wetland species at a number of RSPB nature reserves, including Havergate Island in Suffolk and Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire. And for the first time since the 17th century, Spoonbills have nested in Cambridgeshire at RSPB Ouse Washes, the largest area of washland in the UK and a rich habitat for water birds.
Spoonbills are tall, white-feathered birds and named after their unique long bill that flattens at the end to create a spoon-like shape. These heron-sized birds have long black legs to wade through the waters they feed in. During the breeding season, adults develop a yellow tip on their bills and some yellow feathers on their breast, along with a white head crest.
Despite being a familiar sight during the 16th century, not a single Spoonbill bred successfully in the UK for over 300 years. Before their return, the last nesting Spoonbill was recorded in 1668 and it wasn’t until 2010 that the first regular colony of breeding Spoonbills established at Holkham Nature Reserve in Norfolk – now the UK’s largest colony.
Posted On: 19/07/2024
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