The purple heron is a rare but increasing breeder in UK reedbeds, with a small but growing population benefiting from reedbed expansion.
The small UK breeding population is highly sensitive to disturbance, particularly during nest establishment and early chick rearing. Reedbed management including water level control and reed harvesting must be timed to avoid breeding season disturbance. Mink predation at wetland sites poses a risk to ground-nesting birds.