Booming bitterns

This year the annual butterbump survey has recorded another increase with 198 booming male bitterns found at 89 sites across England and Wales, of which 102 were found on RSPB reserves.

For 2020, we would request that the many volunteers, conservation site staff and landowners continue to monitor sites for booming males and nesting attempts as has happened this year. Given the increasing number of successful nests reported across the country, it is increasingly likely that new and formerly-occupied sites will become occupied by booming Bitterns in the near future. The RSPB will aim to collate all the records, with the intention of producing a similar report next year. To report any observations this season, or to request a copy of the survey methods and recording forms, please contact me on the details below.

[nishapeter]

Stapleton: "Did you ever hear a bittern booming? "
Watson: "No, I never did. "

[anniemaisy]

I actually heard a bittern for the first time today on my walk! How lovely.

[Survve_Thrive]

It is great news to hear the numbers of this species are on the rise.
Well done to all involved with conservation projects everywhere, for all creatures.

[joyridesham]

I live in a very green part of Central London as a child in the 1980 I used to see out of the windows sparrows playing chase, dancing and frolicking from branch to branch of trees, during the winter it was more visible because the tress where bare and I would stare out of the window watching them play outside but I could not because of the bitter cold. However during the 1990 they dissappeared and I could not see one sparrow. Recently they have come back and one day I heard so many birds chrpung out the window when I looked outside I saw about 20 sparrows playing and it made me very nostalgic. I think they have come back because the authorities have blocked of many of the roads in our areas to decrease traffic and air pollution.

[icecold]

Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskerville's (1939) brought me here.

[rachaelhart]

Beautiful to see their numbers increasing. 11 males to nearly 200 is incredible! We have an endangered bittern in Australia (the Australasian Bittern) and they're considered endangered while their population is just under 1000 on the continent. A long way to go for the bitterns of English and Wales to get to that point, but I hope it does happen with continued conservation effort and monitoring.

[bloxsclaymation]

It is a real rare and special moment that you must never forget if you do manage to catch a mere glimpse of these secretive birds, Ive actually been privileged enough to to spot one on the Norfolk broads once when I was out there pike fishing and ill never forget how special the brief glimpse I got of one was as it flew in to the reeds was

[EdaliaDayCreative]

Such a shame to hear they went extinct in the 1800s but brilliant that you managed resurrect them somehow

[arvinroidoatienza]

I wanna use this as my ringtone! Thanks, Mr. Stapleton.

[natkp]

Wonderful! I hope to hear one one day 😊

[martachtman]

Great that you helped them increasing so much. I hope your fantastic work isn`t put at an end and that maybe in 50 or 100 years, there shall be so many of them again...

[Joe-wwqf]

"What is Britain's loudest bird" was a question on The Chase earlier this week.

[rjpitts]

I heard one for the first time this week, always wanted to hear the booming since I learned about it as a child.

[Sunny-lg-jp]

I've seen em in RSPB minsmere and there truly amazing bitds

[ohevshalomel]

I’ve just seen videos of American bitterns, and they sound somewhat similar, except they click their upper and lower beaks together a few times before they begin. I wonder if these do the same, but it’s cut off in the beginning?

[mikecampbell]

I just wish we could say the same for the rest of our wildlife which has been decimated over my 60yr lifetime.

[OntarioBirding]

What is that very loud bird that was singing that whole time?

[TheMiner]

I've seen this bird before, about 80 times in fact but I am sadly no logner the last Norwegian to have seen this bird due to a sighting today, this is day 1 of me commenting until I reclaim my rightful place as the last Norwegian to have seen one of these birds! Its my goal to comment here everyday until I see one again!

[mariannemcaleer]

I heard my first ever bittern booming yesterday - 17th January! Spring is here!

[ringkichardthethrid]

Thank you for including so much audio of the bittern really booming away, which is what most of us came here for I should think. Of course, I can’t actually hear the slightest note of it, meaning that the bittern must have an exclusively subsonic boom, inaudible to the naked ear, as it were. An enlightening observation, to be sure.