UK’s oldest Avocet discovered at RSPB Middleton Lakes

A 36-year-old Avocet found at RSPB Middleton Lakes in Staffordshire has set a new national record. Originally ringed at RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk on 2 July 1990, the bird is more than five times the average lifespan for the species.

The discovery of the oldest Avocet in the UK highlights just how important our network of nature reserves is for the species and a wide range of other wildlife. Since the 1970s, we have featured an Avocet on our logo, as a symbol of hope and to represent what nature conservation can do for threatened species.

Avocets are slender, long-legged wading birds with striking black and white plumage. They have a distinctly long, up-curved beak which they sweep from side to side through shallow water to feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans and worms.

These elegant birds can be seen nowadays along most UK coastlines, whereas thirty years ago they bred mainly on the east coast and wintered in the south-west of England. Providing they nest successfully, Avocets are loyal to the same nesting site for their entire lives which reiterates the importance of providing and maintaining suitable habitat for returning pairs.

The Avocet has a long history with the RSPB. The species disappeared as a breeding bird from the UK by 1840 after widespread wetland drainage for agriculture and development. Its remarkable return began in 1947, when four breeding pairs arrived on the Suffolk coast at what would later become RSPB Minsmere.

The reserve team went on to pioneer a habitat management method through the creation of the Minsmere “scrape”. Made of shallow lagoons and islands, this habitat is designed to replicate natural coastal wetlands and provide ideal nesting habitat.

Avocets have bred successfully at RSPB Minsmere every year since 1963 when the scrape was created. This approach has since been adopted at nature reserves around the UK, helping the species recover from local extinction to become one of the UK’s fastest-increasing breeding waders.

Celebrating the discovery, James Robinson, RSPB Chief Operating Officer, said:

“Finding this record-breaking Avocet is a fantastic moment for nature. As the bird features on the RSPB’s logo, the Avocet symbolises hope and the incredible recovery that is possible when people come together to help wildlife.

“This achievement is thanks to the passion and support of our members, volunteers, supporters and staff, whose collective efforts over many decades have helped restore habitats and bring species back from the brink. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has played a part in this success story.”

Today, there are an estimated 1950 breeding pairs of Avocets and 8700 wintering birds in the UK, a significant increase from the four pairs found in the 1940s. At RSPB Middleton Lakes, a mosaic of habitats has been created across the former gravel extraction site. The wet grasslands with pools and shallow lagoons with islands provide wading bird species like the Avocet with perfect feeding and breeding grounds. In 2025, the nature reserve recorded 10 pairs of Avocet and 16 fledglings.

Middleton Lakes is now one of the largest single wetland sites in the West Midlands and demonstrates how reclaimed land can be transformed into a diverse network of habitats for a range of species.

The Avocet’s age was identified using the unique combination of different coloured rings that were fitted to the bird as a nestling on 2 July 1990. Bird ringing in Britain and Ireland is coordinated and licensed by British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), who confirmed the records for this individual Avocet. Ringing has been used as an important scientific technique to monitor wild bird populations for over 100 years and provides important details and records about a range of birds in the UK.

Jon Carter, British Trust for Ornithology, explains: "Ringing data makes a major contribution to the study of population changes and to our overall understanding of species declines. Ringing also helps us monitor longevity in wild birds, and this remarkable record is a great example of this. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of volunteer ringers we can learn so much, and this information helps us steer conservation and policy decisions."

With summer in full swing, now is a great time to visit the RSPB’s nature reserves where you can see iconic species such as Avocets. While best seen at coastal lagoons on the east coast in summer, Avocet can be spotted at many RSPB nature reserves throughout the year including:

• RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk  
• RSPB Middleton Lakes, Tamworth  
• RSPB Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire  
• RSPB Leighton Moss, Lancashire  
• RSPB Blacktoft Sands, East Yorkshire  
• RSPB Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk  
• RSPB Snettisham, Norfolk