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BIRD FACTS |
Description
The Australasian Bittern is a large stocky heron with streaked brown, black and buff plumage. The underside is paler streaked with brown and creamy buff. It has brown bill. The head is brown on top with paler face and a darker streak below the eye that extends down the neck. It is an elusive bird and rarely seen. It may be confused with the juvenile Nankeen Night Heron which is smaller and more reddish brown.
Other Names
Brown Bittern
Size
65cm - 75cm
Habitat
wetlands where it is found amongst dense vegetation in reed beds
Food
frogs, fish, crustaceans, insects
Breeding
nests on the ground amongst reeds and lays greenish eggs.
Range
The Australasian Bittern is found in south east Australia from south east Queensland to south east South Australia including most of New south Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It is also found in south west corner of Western Australia. Overseas it is found in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Ciconiiformes | | Family: | Ardeidae | | Genus: | Botaurus | | Species: | poiciloptilus | | Common Name: | Australasian Bittern |
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