2022 saw the first confirmed breeding in the UK by Glossy Ibis, with a pair raising one chick at a wetland site in Cambridgeshire. This elegant wading bird was once only found on Mediterranean coasts in Europe but has been moving northwards in recent decades.

As well as this newly arrived species, other recent colonists are prospering. Of the 14 colonists and reintroduced species to have established new populations in the UK since the RBBP began reporting in 1973, five – Mediterranean Gull, White-tailed Eagle, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Egret and Great White Egret – reached record levels in 2022.

Most of these species are expanding their ranges into the UK from the south, and more appear to be on the way. Black-winged Stilts bred for the ninth successive year, with pairs in Norfolk and Yorkshire both rearing four young each. Two pairs of Bee-eaters fledged four young at Trimingham in Norfolk, to the delight of thousands of visiting birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts – this was the fourth breeding attempt in the UK by this multi-coloured migrant in the last decade.

As well as colonists, a number of species continue to recover from historical depletion, with three raptors being reported in greater numbers than in any previous RBBP report. The number of Northern Goshawk pairs reported leapt by 24% since 2021 (which itself was a record year), Marsh Harriers are increasing in much of their range, as is the Osprey which bred in Dorset and Yorkshire for the first time in centuries.

Sadly, the impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is a concern for our seabirds – at least 90 adult Roseate Terns died from the disease reaching the colony at Coquet Island, Northumberland in 2022, along with an even greater number of chicks. There is evidence that the disease also impacted the productivity of raptors such as White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle in 2022.

Other rare breeding species are also struggling for a range of reasons, in some cases despite focused conservation efforts. With just 20 pairs found, Slavonian Grebes remained at their lowest level since the start of annual monitoring in 1971 and had extremely poor breeding success in 2022 with only seven young known to have fledged. This species looks increasingly threatened as a UK breeding bird.

Numbers of Corn Crakes have declined by 28% in the last 10 years. Although many raptor species are showing welcome recoveries from population lows caused by pesticide use and persecution, Montagu’s Harriers continue to struggle. A displaying male did its best to attract a mate in Wiltshire, but for the third year in a row there was no breeding pair anywhere in the UK.

Dr Mark Eaton, RBBP Secretary, said "The RBBP collates thousands of records of rare breeding birds every year, which allows us to track the populations of the UK’s rarest and often most vulnerable breeding birds in order to aid their conservation. This recording allows us to detect the arrival of new breeding birds, and to celebrate the recovery of threatened species, as well as direct urgent action to those which are struggling."

Dawn Balmer, BTO Head of Surveys and RBBP Chair said "Birdwatchers play a critical role in our monitoring of rare breeding birds. We thank the network of volunteer County Recorders and the support of Bird Clubs across the UK. We can all help improve the data that are collated by RBBP by submitting our records through BirdTrack, with counts and breeding evidence, which allows the County Recorders to provide county summary data to RBBP."

Notes for editors

This is the 49th report published by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) and includes records of the 107 rare or scarce native taxa that bred, or showed signs of breeding, in the UK in 2022.

A report summary and table statistics is available on the RBBP website.

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel is an independent body established in 1972 to monitor the UK’s rare breeding birds and to maintain a secure data archive to support the conservation of these species. The Panel includes representatives of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, RSPB, BTO, as well as independent experts and a professional Secretary. Its work is funded by the JNCC and RSPB, with additional support from the BTO. www.rbbp.org.uk

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel collects breeding data on all species of birds with fewer than 2,000 pairs breeding in the UK. In particular, its records allow the production of annual totals of breeding pairs for each species on its list.

The 2022 report includes details of 107 rare or scarce native birds that bred, or showed signs of breeding, in the UK. In addition, records were compiled for 14 rare non-native breeding species.

Reviews of the work of the RBBP over the last 50 years, and what this has revealed about the long-term changes in the UK’s rare breeding birds can be found on the RBBP website here.

The report, “Rare Breeding birds in the UK in 2022”, is published in British Birds, the monthly journal for keen birdwatchers, founded in 1907. www.britishbirds.co.uk

BTO is the UK's leading bird research charity. A growing membership and up to 60,000 volunteer birdwatchers contribute to BTO's surveys, collecting information that underpins conservation action in the UK. BTO maintains a staff of 100 at its offices in Thetford, Stirling, Bangor (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland), who analyse and publicise the results of surveys and projects. BTO's work is funded by BTO supporters, government, trusts, industry and conservation organisations. www.bto.org

BirdTrack is a free webapp and phoneapp that allows birders to submit their records, together with counts (such as singing males) and breeding evidence (such as food for young). Find out more: www.birdtrack.net