Nature & Wildlife, Weymouth | Posted on July 30th, 2026 | return to news

First confirmed breeding Bittern in Dorset since 1883

The RSPB is celebrating the first confirmed breeding Bittern at RSPB Lodmoor – and the first breeding record for Dorset since 1883.

The return of breeding Bitterns in Dorset is an exciting milestone in one of the UK’s greatest conservation success stories.

Excitement first began to build this spring when a male Bittern was heard booming well into May, long after the species would usually have moved on from the reserve at Weymouth following a brief stopover.

The booming then ceased, and in early June the female’s regular feeding flights began, confirming suspicions that breeding was underway.

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 Bitterns 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.

Research led by the RSPB, in partnership with Natural England, identified the habitat conditions Bitterns need to thrive, helping shape reedbed management that is still used today.

Peter Robertson, RSPB Dorset Reserves site manager, said: “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.

“This combination of habitat management has created the right conditions for Bitterns to overwinter at our Dorset wetlands and now to breed at RSPB Lodmoor. Seeing the species breed in Dorset for the first time in more than 140 years is an incredible moment, and we’re really excited about what the future holds for Bitterns in the county.”