The 'once heard, never forgotten' call of a rare bird has been heard at a RSPB Rainham Marshes, located along the Thames for the first time.

The Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a reclusive bird belonging to the heron family. Close to the size of a chicken, bitterns are a mix of golden-brown mottled with delicate black and tan.

Nature lovers and bird watchers in the North East have been delighted by several rare sightings of the elusive bittern over the years. The recent appearance of a bittern at Rainton Meadows on February ...

There's a happy tale coming out of the United Kingdom for a bird that conservationists have been fighting to save. The bittern, a member of the heron family, has had a record-breaking breeding season ...

"It was seen on Haddiscoe island, which is a 2,000 acre site," Mr Remblance said. "We drove past the bitterns, we were about five foot away." ...

The 'once heard, never forgotten' call of a rare bird has been heard at a RSPB Rainham Marshes, along the Thames 15 minutes from Essex ...

Britain's loudest bird, the bittern, has made a comeback over the winter months in London, conservationists say. There were only 30 known breeding pairs in the UK when the London Wetland Centre opened ...

Hearing the distinctive mating call on a restored wetland shows the site is being successfully managed, the RSPB says. Sign up for the top news stories every day to keep you informed with what's going ...

Known for their fondness for life in wet habitats, wading birds can be found near lakes, swamps, beaches and even small ponds. They represent a whole section of most bird books. We are lucky here in ...