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 ...

"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." ...

RSPB confident that bitterns, once extinct in the UK, have successfully bred at newly restored wetland on the island. 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 ...

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 ...

Birdwatchers and conservationists in the North East are celebrating a series of a rare and shy bird – raising hopes that it may be making a quiet comeback in the region. The bittern, which is ...

The population of bitterns, one of the UK's rarest birds, has increased five fold over the past seven years, according to English Nature. In 1997 only 11 bitterns were found during a UK-wide survey, ...