What UK breeding prospects for Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Red-backed Shrikes and Temminck's Stint in 2026?

                                                     

Spoonbill are among several long-legged birds where the breeding trends are encouraging

 

ONE of the big hopes of birders  for 2026 and beyond is that species such as Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Temmick's Stint could start to establish breeding populations in Britain.

The most recent of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel reports was published last month in the journal British Birds, but the information is already somewhat out of date - it is for 2023.

There is still no authoritative reference - at least not in any comprehensive form - for the breeding birds of 2024 and of 2025.

For 2023, the records described as most "eye-catching" by the report's authors were:

* Temminck's Stint - the first confirmed UK breeding record since 1997, was at a site in the Highlands, but unfortunately the four eggs were washed away by high waters

* Hoopoe -  The first confirmed UK breeding record since 1996 fledged three young at a site  in Leicestershire & Rutland.

The British Birds report  says of European Bee-eater: "It is becoming an almost expected breeder in England; in 2023 it bred at two sites for the first time, albeit unsuccessfully."

Among other species, record breeding totals were reached for  Common Crane, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eurasian Bittern, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Shoveler, Common Pochard and Black-necked Grebe.

Encouraging  2023 breeding records  were also recorded for Red-necked Phalaropes and for both Wood and Green Sandpipers.

Says the report: "Many of these species are benefitting from conservation action, either from projects focused narrowly on their requirements, or action more generally to create, restore and maintain high-quality wetland habitats, often on a large scale.

"Range shifts in response to climate change may also be a factor driving increases in some of these species."

There were 3,482 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls so, like Little Egret, it now scarcely classifies as "rare" breeding bird.

Among raptors, the  Scottish population of White-tailed Eagles, which originated from a reintroduction project starting in 1975, reached 156 pairs, plus one pair in Sussex.

With more than 500 pairs, the report suggests that  Marsh Harriers are now more abundant than "since the early 19th century or possibly even earlier". 

Despite continuing persecution, Hen Harrier reached 50 pairs.

The report continues: "Among the more unusual records were a Little Crake in Cambridgeshire anda Greater Short-toed Lark  in Pembrokeshire.

"An  American Black Tern returned to Northumberland, as did a Broad-billed Sandpiper to Shetland." 

However, none of these three species is reported to have bred.

On the downside, no nesting pairs  of  Yellow-legged Gulls were recorded - nor of Fieldfares, Montagu's Harriers, Wrynecks  or Red-backed Shrikes.

Meanwhile, Slavonian Grebes (16 pairs)   and Redwings (six pairs) seem, on the basis of 2023 records, seem to be in decline.

Turtle Dove and Less Spotted Woodpecker also continue to struggle as do Dotterel.

The report notes that avian influenza may have been responsible for the decline in Roseate Terns and Peregrine Falcons.