First confirmed breeding Bittern at Dorset nature reserve
Skip to content
Watch Live
British Broadcasting Corporation
Home
News
Football 2026
Sport
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Audio
Video
Live
Documentaries
Home
News
US & Canada
UK
UK Politics
England
N. Ireland
N. Ireland Politics
Scotland
Scotland Politics
Wales
Wales Politics
Africa
Asia
China
India
Australia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
In Pictures
BBC InDepth
BBC Verify
Football 2026
Sport
Business
World of Business
Technology of Business
NYSE Opening Bell
Technology
Watch Documentaries
Artificial Intelligence
Intelligence Revolution
AI v the Mind
Tech Now
Health
Watch Documentaries
Culture
Watch Documentaries
Film & TV
Music
Art & Design
Style
Books
Entertainment News
Arts
Watch Documentaries
Arts in Motion
Travel
Watch Documentaries
Destinations
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia and Pacific
Caribbean & Bermuda
Central America
Europe
Middle East
North America
South America
World’s Table
Culture & Experiences
Adventures
The SpeciaList
Earth
Watch Documentaries
Science
Natural Wonders
Climate Solutions
Sustainable Business
Green Living
Audio
Podcast Categories
Radio
Audio FAQs
Video
Watch Documentaries
BBC Maestro
Discover the World
Live
Live News
Live Sport
Documentaries
Site search
Home
News
Sport
Football 2026
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Audio
Video
Live
Documentaries
Weather
Newsletters
Watch Live
First confirmed breeding Bittern at nature reserve
2 days ago
Share
Save
Add as preferred on Google
Charlotte ColesSouth of England
Getty Images
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it was the first breeding recorded in Dorset since 1883
The first confirmed breeding Bittern has been recorded at a nature reserve in Dorset, a charity has said.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the milestone at Lodmoor Nature Reserve marked the first breeding recorded in the county since 1883.
The charity said the female Bittern had been seen making regular feeding flights across the reserve.
It added that while the fledglings have not yet been spotted moving around the reedbeds, its Dorset team is hopeful they will fledge in the coming days.
Bitterns are one of the UK's rarest breeding herons and are very secretive, spending most of their lives hidden within dense reedbeds.
Reedbed loss, wetland drainage and hunting, drove them to extinction as breeding birds in Britain by the late 19th Century.
Although they began to recover during the 20th Century, numbers fell to just 11 booming males by 1997.
More stories from Dorset
Watch the latest episode of South Today
Listen to the latest news from Dorset
The charity said it led research in partnership with Natural England, which identified the habitat conditions Bitterns need to thrive, helping shape reedbed management that is still used today.
In a social media post, RSPB England said the return of breeding Bitterns to Dorset was a "testament to the careful management of these wetland landscapes".
"At RSPB Radipole and Lodmoor, we've focused on improving the condition of the reedbeds through reed cutting, carefully managing water levels, grazing, creating and maintaining pools and ditches, and reconnecting RSPB Lodmoor to the sea to allow more fish to enter the reserve.
"Hopefully the perfect conditions for Bitterns to breed here long into the future."
More on this story
Bitterns heard on land earmarked for development
Blooming, booming bitterns heard across Yorkshire
Booming year for the bittern, say conservationists
Related links
RSPB
Dorset
RSPB
Related
'There's no better feeling than finding a lost ring'
Councils want new PM to speed up Dorset devolution
Off-road police vehicle for remote areas, PCC says
More from the BBC
3 days ago
Wildlife watching project spots 2,200 dolphins
Volunteers have been carrying out surveys of marine life at the RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve.
3 days ago
11 Jul 2026
RSPB buys 'magical' 96-hectare landscape to reconnect habitats
The move will help conservationists in Gallt-y-bere to protect internationally important habitats.
11 Jul 2026
10 Jul 2026
Pigeon makes its nest... in woman's makeup bag
Mimmy Stranger's new pal has laid two eggs and seems very happy in her new home.
10 Jul 2026
10 Jul 2026
How a 40-year project helped save little terns
The marine bird is threatened by high tides and beachgoers, but volunteers give a helping hand.
10 Jul 2026
9 Jul 2026
Nature reserve sheep killed and limbs removed
A pedigree sheep is killed after someone cut into the grazing field at RSPB Saltholme.
9 Jul 2026
British Broadcasting Corporation
Home
News
Football 2026
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Sport
Audio
Video
Live
Documentaries
Weather
BBC Shop
BritBox
BBC in other languages
The BBC is in multiple languagesRead the BBC In your own language
BBC News Brasil
BBC News Mundo (Spanish)
BBC News မြန်မာ (Burmese)
BBC News 中文 (Chinese)
BBC News Indonesia
BBC News 코리아 (Korean)
BBC News ไทย (Thai)
BBC News Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
BBC News Azərbaycanca (Azeri)
BBC News Magyarul (Hungarian)
BBC News Кыргыз Кызматы (Kyrgyz)
BBC News Polska (Polish)
BBC News România (Romanian)
BBC News Русская служба (Russian)
BBC News na srpskom (Serbian)
BBC News Україна (Ukrainian)
BBC News O'zbek (Uzbek)
BBC News عربي (Arabic)
BBC News فارسی (Persian)
BBC News Türkçe (Turkish)
BBC News বাংলা (Bengali)
BBC News دری (Dari)
BBC News ગુજરાતી (Gujarati)
BBC News हिन्दी (Hindi)
BBC News मराठी (Marathi)
BBC News नेपाली (Nepali)
BBC News සිංහල (Sinhala)
BBC News پښتو (Pashto)
BBC News ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)
BBC News Afaan Oromoo
BBC News አማርኛ (Amharic)
BBC News Afrique (French)
BBC News Hausa
BBC News Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN
BBC News Ìgbò
BBC News Japanese 日本語
BBC News Gahuza
BBC News Pidgin
BBC News Somali
BBC News Swahili
BBC News தமிழ் (Tamil)
BBC News తెలుగు (Telugu)
BBC News ትግርኛ (Tigrinya)
BBC News اردو (Urdu)
BBC News Yorùbá
BBC News World Service
Follow BBC on:
Terms of Use
Subscription Terms
About the BBC
Privacy Policy
Cookies
Accessibility Help
Contact the BBC
Advertise with us
Do not share or sell my info
BBC.com Help & FAQs
Content Index
Set Preferred Source
Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.