Tropical Heron Spotted in UK for First Time
A western reef heron, native to tropical regions from West Africa to India, has been recorded in the UK for the first time in north Wales. Experts link the sighting to climate change and milder winters.
A tropical bird typically found between West Africa and India has been seen in the UK for the first time. The western reef heron was spotted in Foryd Bay, north Wales, before moving to Caernarfon harbour to feed among boats.
Nick Moran, training manager at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said the arrival and survival of such birds is likely due to increasingly mild winters. "It's much easier to survive in the winter now than it was 50 years ago because we don't see shallow water bodies freezing over with any regularity," he noted.
This week, another rare tropical bird, a squacco heron—usually found in southern Europe and north Africa—also drew birdwatchers to Lincolnshire. According to the BTO, it is seen in the UK only a few times a year.
Alexander Lees, reader in biodiversity at Manchester Metropolitan University, said these herons are part of a shift in species distributions northward due to climate change. He cited the first UK breeding record of the zitting cisticola last year, a Mediterranean warbler that previously could not survive harsh winters.
Other notable tropical sightings in the UK in recent years include the black-winged kite (first in 2023), brown booby (2019), and white-rumped swift (2018). In 2022, the RSPB described European bee-eater sightings as an "unmissable sign" of the nature and climate emergency reaching Britain.
The western reef heron resembles the common little egret but has distinctive blue-grey plumage. The bird seen in Wales is an adult, likely arriving from Europe. Moran does not expect a sudden influx but said more sightings are probable.
