Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers
<p>Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say experts</p><p>It is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.</p><p>The heron was first spotted in <a href="https://www.birdwatchingtrips.co.uk/bird-blog/a-day-on-the-bay">Foryd Bay</a> at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe">Continue reading...</a>
- alleges — Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers (witness: wire-ingest; citation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe; status: supported)
- alleges — url: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe (witness: wire-ingest; citation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe; status: supported)
- alleges — summary: <p>Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say experts</p><p>It is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.</p><p>The heron was first spotted in <a href="https://www.birdwatchingtrips.co.uk/bird-blog/a-day-on-the-bay">Foryd Bay</a> at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe">Continue reading...</a> (witness: wire-ingest; citation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe; status: supported)
- alleges — published: Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:00:08 GMT (witness: wire-ingest; citation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe; status: supported)