Rare bird spotted in the UK again for the first time in 34 years

A white-throated needletail has been spotted at Tophill Low nature reserve in East Yorkshire, marking the first confirmed sighting of this rare Asian swift in England since 1991. Indigenous to eastern Asia and Australia, the bird is related to Britain’s native swift species, with thousands regularly feeding on insects above the reservoirs at Tophill Low nature reserve throughout the year.

Richard Hampshire, lead nature reserve adviser, said: “The bird was first spotted by reserve visitors Mandy Gregory and Ray Maddison, who at first were unsure of what it was, with its long saber-shaped wings and bullet-shaped body. They brought the images to me in the warden base and we quickly realised it was a very special and rare visitor for the UK. We got the news out on social media and became inundated with messages and calls. We had about 50 people turn up to the reserve within the hour.

“It’s probably the second rarest bird to appear in 60 years at Tophilll Low after 2008’s Amur falcon which, at the time, was considered a first for Britain. Last year we also saw a pair of rare blue-winged teal, which are native to North America.”

According to the British Trust for Ornithology, the white-throated needletail is a large and fast-flying bird originally from eastern Asia that migrates in a figure of eight pattern to eastern Australia. “It is an extremely rare visitor to Britain and Ireland, with records typically falling in the period May to July.”

Experts at eBird said: “A powerful-looking swift with long saber-shaped wings and a bullet-shaped body. The only swift in its range that combines a clean white throat and smooth pale gray back. At close range, the fine white forehead and bluish tinge to the back are also visible.

“Flies higher than most other swifts during migration, often circling over mountaintops and valleys with kettles of migrating birds of prey. Less erratic and bat-like in flight than other swifts. Call is a high-pitched, screaming twitter.”

The bird was also observed at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where hundreds assembled to witness the uncommon avian visitor. Tophill Low, situated near Driffield, has been a nature reserve for three decades and is home to a diverse range of wildlife including otters, barn owls, kingfishers, and grass snakes, reports Hull Live.

Thousands of hours of volunteer work, supported by Yorkshire Water, have led to numerous conservation successes such as breeding otters, nesting cetti’s warblers, a thriving heronry, flourishing bitterns, and potentially the UK’s most robust population of greater water parsnip.