Nature reserve records its first breeding bitterns

21 July 2025

Eleanor MaslinBBC News

News image — Bitterns are well-camouflaged birds and often blend into the reeds

Karen Spavin A bird standing upright in water and reeds. The bittern has a long beak and has a mixture of brown, white and black feathers. It is quite tall and very well camouflaged against the reeds. — Bitterns are well-camouflaged birds and often blend into the reeds

One of the UK's rarest birds has bred on a nature reserve near Hull for the first time in its history.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) said a juvenile bittern was spotted at North Cave wetlands last week, marking the first time the species had ever bred on its site.

Bitterns, which make a distinctive booming call, were once extinct in the UK but returned in the 20th Century.

YWT reserve manager Tony Martin said it was "heartening" to see that the trust's "careful management of these wild spaces is having huge benefits for Yorkshire's wildlife."

Getty Images A landscape view of a lake against a sky with reedbed and wetlands seen. It is a nature reserve. No people or wildlife can be seen. — Over 30,000 reed plugs have been planted at North Cave wetlands which will grow into mature reedbeds

Bitterns are very difficult to see and often move through reeds at the water's edge whilst looking for fish, the RSPB said.

Despite their secrecy, the species are also Britain's loudest bird due to the sound that males make in the spring.

YWT said that the breeding of bitterns in Yorkshire still remained "very rare", with "roughly 20 breeding pairs last on record", which "can have up to six eggs".

Earlier this month, the RSPB said four boomers had been heard at East Yorkshire's RSPB Blacktoft Sands, as well as other places throughout the country.

Ben Andrew/RSPB/PA Media A Eurasian bittern or great bittern bird among wetland reeds. — Bittern numbers have increased by a fifth in the last year, the RSPB said

A national annual bittern survey announced in March showed 283 booming males were recorded in the latest results from the RSPB and Natural England.

Mr Martin said: "We have had overwintering bitterns at North Cave wetlands for a number of years, but bitterns need two healthy reedbed areas to breed successfully, as they use one for nesting and another for feeding.

"These sightings are the latest success at one of our flagship reserves."

Since 2001, North Cave wetlands has expanded from 99 acres (40 hectares) to 350 acres (140 hectares), in partnership with construction company Breedon Group.

This included planting over 30,000 reed plugs to create habitat which will grow into the mature reedbeds bitterns prefer to live in.

The trust said it hoped that visitors would be able to spot more juvenile sightings in the days and weeks ahead.

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