Eurasian Bittern

How to identify

Field marks

1. Pale yellowish-brown body feathers covered in dark streaks and barring
2. Black crown and nape
3. Yellowish-brown supercilium; rufous-black moustachial stripe
4. Yellow-green bill; yellow iris; green legs and feet

Male, female and young

The male is slightly larger than the female; juveniles resemble adults in plumage but are paler with less distinct markings.

Voice

In the breeding season the male gives a deep, sighing “boom”, like a foghorn or the lowing of cattle, audible from 5 km away on calm nights.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Poland

Eurasian Bittern has been recorded at 1,069 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 84 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,103 records
2. Ham Wall RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,115 records
3. Lakenheath Fen RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom998 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United KingdomChinaPolandSpainIsraelRussiaSwedenSwitzerland

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Eurasian bittern or great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. There are two subspecies, the northern race (B. s. stellaris) breeding in parts of Europe and across the Palearctic, as well as on the northern coast of Africa, while the southern race (B. s. capensis) is endemic to parts of southern Africa. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open as it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water bodies.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions