'Near threatened' rare bird on UK Red List spotted in Essex

A KEEN birdwatcher has spotted a rare bird in Essex, marking the beginning of its spring migration. Photographer Mike O’Hanlon captured an image of a male ring ouzel at Holland Haven Country Park on March 25. The ring ouzel is a striking black thrush with a distinctive white crescent across its chest.

Ring ouzels have a lifespan of about two years, but some have been recorded living up to eight years. It has a wingspan of 33 to 38cm, slightly larger than close relative the blackbird. A migratory species, it is typically found in the UK during the spring and autumn migration, as it travels between its breeding grounds in upland Britain and wintering areas in southern Europe and north Africa.



Listed on the UK Red List for Birds of Conservation Concern since 2002, ring ouzel populations have declined due to habitat loss and climate change. Once more widespread, the species now mainly breeds in Scotland, northern England and Wales, making sightings in Essex particularly rare..