Bitterns thrive at Staffordshire Reserve

Bitterns, once extinct in the UK, are thriving again in Staffordshire thanks to conservation work at RSPB Middleton Lakes.

This secretive heron species was reduced to just 11 booming males nationwide in 1997, confined mostly to coastal wetlands. But this summer, Middleton Lakes recorded two males and two confirmed nests, with at least five chicks fledging, although numbers of fledged young have been difficult to determine due to the secluded behaviour of the birds.

Bitterns are notoriously secretive, making exact numbers difficult to track. However, males are unmistakable for their deep “booming” call, which can be heard up to three miles away. This is often an enjoyment by many visiting birders during the spring months, and it is exciting to see the growth in the breeding population.

The species’ return to the West Midlands marks a major success for habitat restoration. Bitterns bred in the region in 2021 for the first time in more than a century, and have produced young at Middleton every year since owing the success to the reserve wardens and management plans of the site.