Stripe-backed Bittern (Botaurus involucris)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Stripe-backed Bittern

Botaurus involucris (Vieillot, 1823)

28–35 cmLength

The stripe-backed bittern (Botaurus involucris) is a South American bird species belonging to the family Ardeidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Chile, Argentina, Brazil

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Chile, Argentina, Brazil

Stripe-backed Bittern has been recorded at 134 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. SN Laguna BatucoChile528 records
  2. Brisa del SolChile429 records
  3. Estero San Jerónimo – DesembocaduraChile376 records
More places
  1. Estero MantaguaChile354 records
  2. Parque FinkyArgentina203 records
  3. Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina136 records
  4. Estero El Culebrón – DesembocaduraChile105 records
  5. Río Elqui – DesembocaduraChile66 records
  6. Piracicaba – TanquãBrazil65 records
  7. Reserva Ecológica Ciudad Universitaria - Costanera NorteArgentina54 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChileArgentinaBrazilUruguayTrinidad & TobagoVenezuelaParaguayColombia

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 stripe-backed bittern (Botaurus involucris) is a South American bird species belonging to the family Ardeidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Ixobrychus. Commonly found near freshwater swamps, marshes, lake shores and streams, stripe-backed bitterns are distributed in two disjunct populations in the north and south of the continent, spanning both sides of the Andes.

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

Questions

How big is the Stripe-backed Bittern?

The Stripe-backed Bittern is about 28–35 cm long.

Where does the Stripe-backed Bittern live?

Its breeding range: South America: Colombia to Suriname, southern Bolivia and southern Brazil to central Chile and central Argentina. It is most often recorded in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

When is the best time to see the Stripe-backed Bittern?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Stripe-backed Bittern endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Stripe-backed Bittern as Least Concern.

What family is the Stripe-backed Bittern in?

It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Length
28–35 cm
Conservation
Least Concern

Range

South America: Colombia to Suriname, southern Bolivia and southern Brazil to central Chile and central Argentina

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Herons, Bitterns Ardeidae
Genus
Botaurus

Other birds in the genus Botaurus

Eurasian BitternEurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisAustralasian BitternAustralasian BitternBotaurus poiciloptilusAmerican BitternAmerican BitternBotaurus lentiginosusPinnated BitternPinnated BitternBotaurus pinnatusLeast BitternLeast BitternBotaurus exilisBlack BitternBlack BitternBotaurus flavicollisCinnamon BitternCinnamon BitternBotaurus cinnamomeusVon Schrenck's BitternVon Schrenck's BitternBotaurus eurhythmusDwarf BitternDwarf BitternBotaurus sturmiiLittle BitternLittle BitternBotaurus minutusYellow BitternYellow BitternBotaurus sinensisBlack-backed BitternBlack-backed BitternBotaurus dubius
Stripe-backed Bittern

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