Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers | Birds

It is a tropical bird typically encountered between West Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first sighting in the UK.

The heron was seen here for the first time Foryd Bay for the weekend before flying to the nearby port of Caernarfon, where he fed among the boats.

While the sight thrilled birdwatchers across the country, experts said it also showed how changing climate conditions were shifting the bird’s range.

“The reason they came here in the first place and then survived is probably because the winters are getting milder,” said Nick Moran, director of education at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

“Surviving winter is much easier now than it was 50 years ago because we don’t see shallow bodies of water freezing regularly. These herons and egrets generally feed in relatively shallow waters.”

The tawny heron, another rare tropical bird typically found in Southern Europe and North Africa, was also found. attracting birdwatchers to Lincolnshire This week. According to the BTO, the bird is only seen a few times a year in the UK.

Alexander Lees, biodiversity reader at Manchester Metropolitan University and chair of the British Ornithologists’ Union records committee, said herons were the latest in a line of “formerly largely tropical species whose distributions are shifting northwards with climate change”.

“We are seeing a shift and realignment around biodiversity,” he said. “For example, last year we also First breeding record of zitting cisticola. This is a Mediterranean little warbler, and this bird has moved northward with climate change. The reason the species has not historically bred here is that it is too sensitive to harsh winters. It wouldn’t survive because if we were exposed to prolonged cold, they would all die. But we no longer experience those long periods of cold.”

Other notable tropical sightings in the UK in the last few years include black-winged kite, first visited in 2023 and pleased bird watchers in Norfolk this yearBrown booby in 2019 and white-rumped swiftThis species, which first colonized Spain from North Africa in the 1960s, was first seen in England in 2018.

The RSPB said sightings of European bee-eaters, common in Africa and southern Europe, in 2022 were an “unmissable sign” that the nature and climate emergency had reached Britain.

Western reef herons are increasingly being recorded in southern Europe, including Spain and France, and are expected to be seen in the UK, Lees said.

Simon Hugheston-Roberts, who first noticed the bird in Wales he told the BBC while on a walk he was “lucky to see a little black heron flying over me on the shore”.

He added: “I have spent time birding in Africa and the Middle East, so I am familiar with this species as well as different species of herons.

“So I used my knowledge and years of experience observing birds to inform an identification process.”

Ian Lycett went to North Wales to see the bird. he told BirdGuides: “Seeing a fascinating new genre for Britain, set against the backdrop of the majestic Caernarfon Castle, wasn’t initially what I expected to do on the weekend.

“It was a long journey getting here from London on Sunday morning but it was worth the effort as the heron offered spectacular views as they fed at close range in the harbour.”

Although the western reef heron is similar in size and build to the common little egret, its blue-gray plumage sets it apart. “They’re very striking,” Moran said. “Unlike anything we have here in the UK.”

The bird seen in Wales is an adult and probably came from Europe rather than directly from Africa, although it is not possible to tell without tracing the bird’s route. “It could even be a bird hatched in Europe,” Moran said.

While Moran warned against expecting a sudden influx of the species, he said there was a possibility of more sightings. “I don’t think we’ll have dozens of records by this time next year, but I strongly suspect we’ll have many more.”

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