Cuckoos have been seen and heard at Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Hickling Broad nature reserve just days after warnings that they are in danger of extinction.
Cuckoos have been seen and heard at Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Hickling Broad nature reserve just days after warnings that they are in danger of extinction.
The bird has been added to the red list of species needing urgent conservation action. A report last week said the cuckoo population in Britain has declined 37pc since 1994.
Warden at Hickling Broad John Blackburn said: “Four males have been heard in song and frequently flying overhead.
“According to country lore, the cuckoo appears on St George's Day and it was certainly within a few days they arrived this year... The cuckoo is a brood parasite, laying eggs in other birds' nests. At Hickling we have good numbers of reed and willow warblers which the cuckoos tend to use.”
At the weekend, Hickling Broad also welcomed a purple heron, native to India, and a great white egret.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here