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| | | THE LIVING WORLD
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| | | | PROGRAMME INFO | | | |
| | | The Living WorldÌýis a gentle weekend natural history programme, which aims to broadcast the best, most intimate encounters with British wildlife.
nhuradio@bbc.co.uk | | | | | LISTEN AGAIN Ìý25min | | | |
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PRESENTER |
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"The Living World is the next best thing to being there. Our contributors are skilled naturalists who are able to reveal those fascinating facts about animals and plants that you don't always find in books. It's like having a personal guided tour of the countryside, without needing to leave the house."
Brett Westwood |
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| | | | PROGRAMME DETAILS | | | |
|  | | | Is there a bittern in the reeds? |
Booming Bitterns
If you go down to certain reedbeds on the Suffolk coast in the evening or early morning you may be in for a big surprise.Ìý Across the still air, a strange sound mayÌýresonate towards you - it's the extraordinary "boom" of the male bittern.Ìý This territorial call, which is also used to attract females, is the lowest-pitched and most far-carrying sound produced by any European bird.Ìý
Bitterns are small herons which you are more likely to hear than see.Ìý TheirÌýpale brown colouring helps them to blendÌýinto the surroundingÌýreeds and when startled they will freeze in an upright stance.
From late January onwards,Ìýthe male bitterns begin to set up their territories.Ìý They start to gear up for their booming as it takes effortÌýand energy to produce a good boom - one requirementÌýbeingÌýstrong muscles in the bird's throat.Ìý It's almost like a set of bagpipes starting up as first you hear a gasp of air, and then the booming begins.
The reedbed habitat is vital for bitterns and withÌýreedbeds and marshy areas being lost due to drainage,Ìýbittern numbers have suffered aÌýseriousÌýdecline.Ìý The bittern went extinct in this country in 1885Ìýbut having returned to Norfolk in 1900Ìýthe birds have struggled to reachÌývery healthy numbers.Ìý However, theÌýefforts of conservationists in restoring and managing reedbeds over recent years is helping the bitterns to recover.
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