One of Europe’s most eye-catching birds has bred in the UK for the first time in almost three decades. A pair of hoopoes – famous for their salmon-pink bodies, bold black-and-white wings and showy crest – successfully raised three chicks in farmland in Leicestershire and Rutland in the East Midlands, England.
This breeding event, revealed in the latest Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) report (which documents records from 2023), marks the hoopoe’s return as a nesting species in Britain after a 27-year absence.
The last known breeding was in Wales in 1996, while earlier records include four pairs in England in 1977 and 36 previous breeding records since 1835.
The hoopoe is more commonly seen across southern Europe, Asia and Africa, favouring warm climates. It breeds in holes in trees or buildings and probes the ground with its long, curved bill to feed on insects and other invertebrates. The Leicestershire and Rutland pair’s success may suggest that the species is taking advantage of milder British springs.
Another standout record in the 2023 season was made in the Scottish Highlands, where a pair of Temminck’s stints (named after the Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck) laid four eggs at a wetland site – the first confirmed nesting attempt in Scotland since 1997. Sadly, the nest was washed away by rising water levels.
The RBBP report highlights record numbers for 15 species in 2023, including 160 pairs of white-tailed eagles, whose numbers continue to grow in Scotland following reintroduction efforts that began in 1975. A pair was also seen breeding in Sussex – the first in England since 1780.
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Marsh harriers reached a milestone, exceeding 500 pairs for the first time since monitoring began, and five large wading birds – crane, spoonbill, bittern, great white egret and little egret – all reached new highs, thanks to wetland creation and better protection.
"It is heartening to see the return of absent species, and many others going from strength to strength as the result of targeted conservation action,” says Dr Mark Eaton, RBBP Secretary.
Not all news was positive. The number of Slavonian grebes in northern Scotland fell to just 16 pairs, and only six pairs of redwings were recorded across the UK – both the lowest totals on record.
The report says that outbreaks of bird flu (or avian influenza), which have been widespread across the UK since 2021, have had an impact on some rare breeding bird species.
Roseate terns on Coquet Island in Northumberland dropped from 154 pairs in 2022 to 118 in 2023 after 90 adults died from bird flu. Despite these losses, conservationists report signs of recovery, with 2024 marking the second most successful breeding season on record for this rare seabird.
Top image: hoopoe. Credit: Getty
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