We are celebrating the sight of fledgling spoonbills at Hickling Broad and Marshes – the first known breeding success in the Norfolk Broads for around 400 years.
Our Hickling Broad nature reserve has become a haven for spoonbills in recent years, thanks to a combination of habitat management and an increasing British population. However, this is the first summer that chicks have successfully hatched.
Robert Smith, our Senior Reserves Assistant for Broads North, said: “It has been a privilege to monitor the spoonbills over the past few years at Hickling and now we can officially celebrate the return of a former lost breeding species to the Broadland landscape with the first fledged spoonbill here since the mid-17th century.
“Watching the fledgling flying around the reserve and hearing its trilling begging call as it pesters its parents for food is a truly wonderful sight and sound. It shows that our work to enhance the habitats on our reserves and across Norfolk is hugely important to the survival of our wildlife, including visitors such as the spoonbill.”
The spoonbill is a large white heron-like species that stands at three feet tall and has a wingspan of four feet. It gets its name from its long bill, which has a flat spoon-shaped tip. The species is of European conservation concern and a very rare breeding bird in the UK. It is believed that there are just eight breeding sites in the whole of England.
Spoonbill fledglings – known affectionately as ‘teaspoons,’ – on account of their shorter bills, can also be identified by the black in their wing tips. The fledglings at Hickling will commute between their nest in the trees and the pool at first, then move further afield when brave enough, before the family leave the nest for good and depart south. Poole Harbour is a key wintering spot for Norfolk breeding spoonbills.
With a bit of luck, visitors to Hickling Broad and Marshes may be able spot the adult spoonbills and fledgling out on Brendan’s Marsh or flying around the reserve. To maximise your chances of spotting the birds, binoculars or telescopes are advised.
For more information about Hickling Broad and Marshes, visit our reserve page or call the visitor centre on 01692 598276