Breckland roost at Cavenham Heath is a rare chance to see the secretive stone-curlew with RSPB and Natural England

Chris Hill

PUBLISHED: 09:09 08 September 2017 | UPDATED: 14:14 08 September 2017

They’re usually elusive, shy and unsociable – but a Breckland heath has offered a glimpse of a “secret gathering” of stone-curlews as they prepare for their annual migration.

Cavenham Heath, near Mildenhall, has become a departure lounge for these rarely-seen travellers, as they congregate to roost and feed before flying more than 1,000 miles in search of some winter warmth in northern Africa and southern Spain.

The stone-curlew is one of the UK’s rarest breeding birds. They are notoriously secretive in the breeding season and, as many nest on private or inaccessible land, there are few public places for people to go and see these unusual birds without the risk of disturbing them.

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