RSPB celebrates Bearded Tit boom

The RSPB is celebrating a highly successful year for Bearded Tit on its reserves in 2024.

Last year, no fewer than 120 pairs of Bearded Tits nested at the charity's Blacktoft Sands reserve in East Yorkshire, producing some 500 fledged youngsters – more than double the success rate of previous years. Back in 2002, the reserve population had declined to 45 pairs. This recovery has been achieved thanks to what the charity describes as "meticulous reedbed managment".

Nationally, Bearded Tit numbers have increased from 400 pairs four decades ago to around 700 pairs in 2021.