Rare chance to hear call of UK's loudest bird at Lancaster nature reserve

The unusual sound of rare male bitterns - known for their distinctive ‘booming’ call which they use to establish territories and attract mates - can now be heard at RSPB Leighton Moss and up to several kilometres away.

Bitterns went extinct in the UK in the 1870s due to persecution and draining of their wetland habitat for agriculture.

Despite a steady increase in the size of the UK breeding population during the 20th century, bitterns were back at the brink of extinction by 1997 when numbers dropped to just 11 males.

RSPB Leighton Moss has always been synonymous with bitterns but by the late 2000s they’d stopped breeding at the Silverdale reserve.

Following an extensive programme of habitat management to rejuvenate the reedbed at Leighton Moss, the elusive birds returned to nest in 2018 after an absence of almost a decade.They have continued to go from strength to strength, with six male birds being heard so far this spring.

Jon Carter, Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Leighton Moss, said: “We got down to just one booming male here a few years ago but after considerable work by staff and volunteers to improve the reedbed, we managed to attract six booming males in 2021.

"That’s a phenomenal turnaround in such a short period of time.

"We’ve heard six males again already this spring, which is fantastic at this point in the season.

“The deep reverberating sound these birds make, a bit like blowing across the top of a milk bottle, is truly impressive and can carry for three or four kilometres. It’s an unforgettable experience for visitors.

"It also shows that the hard work we’ve done, and continue to do, is really paying off for these amazing birds.”

Ongoing work to create and restore reedbed at RSPB Leighton Moss also led to four bittern nests across the whole reserve in 2021.

Jarrod Sneyd, Senior Site Manager, said: "Before, I've worked at Leighton Moss as a residential volunteer, as a bittern researcher and as an assistant warden.

"In most of that time, over 25 years, you'd have been lucky to have one nest, never mind four."