The bittern has recovered from near extinction as a UK breeding species through reedbed restoration, with ongoing welfare considerations around water level management and winter survival.
Bittern welfare during severe winters is at acute risk when reedbed water freezes, making fish hunting impossible. Birds may be found collapsed from starvation in surrounding areas during cold snaps. Water level management that maintains open channels through winter is critical. Reedbed management including cutting and rotational management maintains the complex structure bitterns require. Climate change may increase flood risks that periodically disrupt reedbed structure.