BOOMTIME FOR BRITAIN’S LOUDEST ‘beatbox’ BIRD

West Country nature reserves lead remarkable recovery with a quarter of national ‘boomers’

Britain’s loudest bird, once extinct in the UK, has enjoyed its best year since records began, says a new survey by the RSPB and Natural England. The bittern –a threatened relative of the more familiar grey heron – is bouncing back, following intensive conservation efforts, which has seen its population rise over the last 15 years from 11 males in 1997 to 104 this year. And a quarter of these rare birds were recorded in Somerset, the most successful year in the county since it first bred in 2008, following an absence of forty years.

Bitterns are highly secretive wetland birds and live most of their time within dense stands of reed, making them very difficult to count. However, the males have an amazing ‘beatbox’ ability, where they fill their gullets with air which they release to make a booming ‘song’ which can be heard several kilometers away, enabling scientists to determine the bird’s population.

This summer, researchers found evidence of at least 25 ‘singing’ or ‘booming’ males in the Avalon Marshes to the west of Glastonbury, 11 more than in 2010, and 18 more than in 2009. The Avalon Marshes include the RSPB’s Ham Wall and Natural England’s Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserves..

Steve Hughes, RSPB Site Manager at Ham Wall, said: “It’s been an unbelievably good year, and reflects the years of hard work with our partners and supporters. The growth of the Somerset bittern population is vital if we are to secure a long term future for this bird in the UK. It’s a big step forward for nature conservation.”

The bittern has had a rollercoaster history in Britain, as the bird was extinct as a nesting species between 1886 and when it recolonised the Norfolk Broads in 1911. The bird’s population rose once more until the 1950s when another decline brought the population to a recent low in 1997.

Natural Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: “To see a species that was once extinct in the UK rise to a population of over one hundred is a real achievement. This is largely down to the work of the RSPB and Natural England, and shows what can be achieved if we work together. This partnership work is vital as we work to meet the commitments set out in the Natural Environment White Paper and the England Biodiversity Strategy.”

Martin Harper is the RSPB’s Conservation Director. He said: “To lose the bittern once in Britain was regrettable, but to have lost it twice would have been unforgiveable. Concern for the bittern in the 1990s led to an intensive species-recovery programme, with research and habitat improvement and creation playing major roles. Focussed work on bitterns has led to great gains for reedbeds and all the wildlife associated with this priority habitat.

“This species-led approach to bittern conservation has been vital for the recovery of the bird in England. We look forward to seeing an extension to this approach for other threatened species as a central theme in the England Biodiversity Strategy delivery plan.”

Seventeen out of every 20 English booming bitterns (85%) were recorded on nature reserves and overall almost two thirds (65%) of booming bitterns in 2011 were recorded on Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The bittern still faces several threats, including sea level rise, where freshwater sites along the coast could be inundated by saltwater, which is why the success of the Somerset population is so important. Additionally, a potential issue is the need for sites suitable for nesting bitterns to receive on-going management.

Dr Pete Brotherton, Natural England’s Head of Biodiversity said: "The bittern’s recovery is a great conservation achievement and shows what can be done when government, conservationists and landowners work together. This is an encouraging sign that we can restore and improve our wetland habitats, which bring vital benefits to both people and wildlife."

The number of booming males recorded in the top five counties during the 2011 survey is highlighted below (The figures in brackets refer to the figures in 1997): Suffolk 33 (4); Somerset 25 (1); Norfolk 23 (3); Cambridgeshire 7 (0); Lincolnshire 4 (0).

The survey also recorded the number of nesting bitterns. A minimum of 63 nest have been confirmed in England at 26 sites, compared to the low point of six nests at four sites in 1996. With 21 confirmed nests, Suffolk was also the best county for nesting bitterns in 2011. Somerset was second with 19 confirmed nests and Norfolk was third with 11 confirmed nests.

Since the mid 1990s the European Commission has provided EU LIFE funding for two bittern conservation projects to create new reedbeds or manage existing ones. Of the 63 nesting bitterns, 37 were recorded on sites included within these projects.

The bittern monitoring programme is jointly funded by the RSPB and Natural England, through the Action for Birds in England programme.