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Rare UK breeding bird sets up nesting colony in Norfolk

The spoonbill - which has bred only four times in Britain in the last three centuries – has had a  success at Holkham, Norfolk and for the first time in over 300 years the UK has its own breeding colony of these beautiful crane-like birds.

Four pairs of spoonbills have fledged six young, with two more pairs feeding chicks at Holkham nature reserve on the north Norfolk coast.

It is the first time since the early 1700s that more than one pair of birds has bred successfully in the UK.

However, the crane-like bird has been spotted building nests at the Natural England-run site since 2004.

It has never been established if any eggs have been laid in the nests, but no young have ever been reared at the reserve until now.