The 2024 report of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) was published in British Birds in November 2026 (Eaton et al. 2026; British Birds 119: 621–687) and can be obtained by subscription at www.britishbirds.co.uk; a pdf of the report will be available at www.rbbp.org.uk in due course.

This is the 51st report published by the RBBP – we have now reported on 52 breeding seasons (with one report covering two years, 2003 and 2004).

The 2024 report documents the status of the 103 species and subspecies of rare and scarce native birds that were recorded breeding, or showing signs of breeding, in the UK, although for three of these the accounts are simply reports of continued presence. In addition, records were compiled for 13 rare non-native breeding species. Population totals are given for each species in the report, alongside a breakdown of records by country and recording area, and where possible updated trends are given. A table summarising species’ numbers and trends is available here.

For the first time, our report features a table summarising UK population trends for those species for which annual coverage is robust enough to do so. When possible, trends are presented for the most recent 10 years, 25 years, and the longest available trend period, along with the between-year change since 2023. The UK table, along with separate online-only tables with English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh trends can be found here.

The report was enabled by the collation of over 11,400 individual records, which, once duplicates were identified, provided nearly 8,600 unique records. The most important sources of data are the detailed submissions compiled by the UK’s county and regional bird recorders, who in turn depend on observers submitting their records in the first place. Other important sources include returns from Schedule 1 licence holders, the BTO/JNCC Nest Record Scheme, raptor study groups, annual species’ monitoring, periodic national surveys, and counts from RSPB reserves.

The 2024 breeding season followed an exceptionally mild, wet and stormy winter, with ten named storms between late September 2023 and late January 2024. The spring that followed was the warmest on record but also the sixth wettest, and while wetland conditions may have been good early in the season, continued rainfall caused flooding at some important sites. The summer was the coolest since 2015, particularly in the north and west, and there were widespread reports of poor breeding success, especially amongst ground-nesting raptors such as Hen Harrier.

Blyth’s Reed Warbler (Dave Pullan)

Perhaps the two most eye-catching records are of a species new to our reports and one recorded breeding for the first time. Two territory-holding male Red-breasted Flycatchers were found in woodlands in North-east Scotland and Upper Forth within four days of each other. Meanwhile, a pair of Blyth’s Reed Warblers fledged at least two young in Highland – not an entirely unexpected development given the westward range expansion of this species in recent decades. This is the fourth new confirmed breeding species we have reported in the last ten years, following Iberian Chiffchaff (2015), Black-crowned Night Heron (2017) and Glossy Ibis (2022). A pair of Blue-winged Teal in Yorkshire may also have bred, which would have been a first for the UK had it been proven, and a pair of Ferruginous Ducks that fledged young in Warwickshire provided the first record of this species for which there was no doubt that breeding occurred, although it is uncertain whether the birds were of wild origin.

Western Cattle Egret (Mark Eaton)

Amongst our c. 80 regularly breeding species there was much good news, with many increasing or maintaining populations at historically high levels. Waterbirds continue to do well: Eurasian Spoonbill, Eurasian Bittern, Little Egret, Great Egret and Western Cattle Egret all reached record totals in 2024, and Common Crane nearly did so. In northern Scotland, Whooper Swan also reached a new record total. These species are benefiting from conservation action, especially wetland management and creation, in some cases alongside the beneficial effects of climate change along the northern edges of their ranges.

Several raptor species continued to recover from historical depletion. Osprey, Western Marsh Harrier and White-tailed Eagle all reached new record totals, more European Honey Buzzards were reported than in any year outside the 2020–21 national survey, and European Goshawks increased again. Two pairs of Montagu’s Harriers bred, a welcome return after a gap of four years.

Temminck’s Stint chick

One of the more unexpected patterns of the last decade – population increases and range expansions in some northern waders – was maintained in 2024. Numbers of Red-necked Phalarope and Wood Sandpiper remained high, three pairs of Purple Sandpiper were confirmed breeding for the first time since 2003, and the first Temminck’s Stint chicks were recorded in the UK since 1993.

In contrast, while species from continental Europe that have established populations in the UK in recent years continued to prosper, those that might be considered the ‘next wave’ of potential colonists had a poor year. After ten successive years of breeding by Black-winged Stilts, no eggs were laid in 2024; there was no repeat of the previous year’s breeding by Eurasian Hoopoe; a single returning pair of European Bee-eaters failed quickly in bad weather; and there were no records of breeding behaviour by Little Crake, Baillon’s Crake, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern or Iberian Chiffchaff. It seems the wet spring and cool summer were enough to deter these species from breeding.

There was comparatively little bad news to report. Slavonian Grebe numbers remain very low, with only seven young fledged by 20 breeding pairs, and numbers of lekking male Western Capercaillie fell. Redwing numbers dropped to just four pairs, the lowest we have ever reported, and for the fourth successive year there were no confirmed breeding records of Fieldfare or Red-backed Shrike.

As usual, there was a range of infrequently reported oddities, such as a male Barolo Shearwater holding territory in Devon for the second year. Many such records involved mixed pairings with closely related species: Pink-footed Goose, Lesser Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Spotted Sandpiper, American Black Tern, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Northern Diver, Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Scandinavian Rock Pipit all bred or showed signs of breeding in mixed pairings in 2024.

Roseate Tern (Colin Bradshaw)

After two years of reporting on outbreaks of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI; bird flu) of the strain H5N1 amongst rare breeding species such as Roseate Tern, Mediterranean Gull, White-tailed Eagle and Peregrine Falcon, it is a relief that very few cases were reported in 2024. Near-record productivity at the Roseate Tern colony in Northumberland suggests that a recovery is already underway.

As always, we wish to thank all those who support the work of the RBBP, particularly the county bird recorders who collate and submit data to us, and the observers who make the thousands of records of rare breeding birds that contribute to our reports.

Dr Mark Eaton

Secretary, Rare Breeding Birds Panel, November 2026.