Bird Album
Sunbittern
Eurypyga helias (Pallas, 1781)
210 gWeight
The sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus Eurypyga.
Most records: Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru
Where and when it's recorded
Sunbittern has been recorded at 249 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Poconé – Pousada PiuvalBrazil1,262 records
- Rio Cristalino – listas históricasBrazil723 records
- Poconé – Aymara LodgeBrazil712 records
More places
- Punto Ornitológico MindoEcuador594 records
- Poconé – Pousada Pouso AlegreBrazil574 records
- Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica552 records
- Selva Verde LodgeCosta Rica489 records
- Poconé – SouthWild PantanalBrazil455 records
- Pantanal – Pousada Rio ClaroBrazil385 records
- Hato La Aurora – Ecolodge Juan SolitoColombia346 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus Eurypyga. It is found in Central and South America, and has three subspecies. The sunbittern shows both morphological and molecular similarities with the kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) of New Caledonia, indicating a Gondwanan origin, both species being placed in the clade Eurypygiformes.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Sunbittern?
The Sunbittern weighs around 210 g.
Where does the Sunbittern live?
Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Guatemala through Amazonia. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Costa Rica and Peru.
Is the Sunbittern endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Sunbittern as Least Concern.
What does the Sunbittern eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Sunbittern in?
It belongs to the family Sunbittern (Eurypygidae), order Eurypygiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 210 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 216 mm
- Tail
- 142 mm
- Bill
- 63 mm
- Tarsus
- 49 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America, South America: Guatemala through Amazonia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Eurypygiformes
- Family
- Sunbittern Eurypygidae
- Genus
- Eurypyga
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by jose2883cr. ↗
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