Spoonbills rebound as UK farmers bolster tree cover and wetlands

Once common in England and Wales, the species was hunted to local extinction about 300 years ago

With their striking long beaks and elegant white plumage, the spoonbill looks like it belongs somewhere far more exotic than the windswept saltmarshes of the UK.

But the large wading bird is enjoying a boom in numbers as landowners across the country improve wetland habitats and tree cover.