Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), Guam (B), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia [Federated States of] (B), Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea (B), Northern Mariana Islands (B), Oman (B), Pakistan, Palau (B), Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia (Asian), Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Timor-Leste (B) (NB), USA, Vietnam.
Vagrant to Australia, Christmas Island.
Indian Subcontinent through south-eastern Asia to south-eastern USSR and Japan; Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Micronesia; Seychelles.
Voice
A dry 'kik kik kik' or raspy 'tschek', similar but lower pitched than Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), uttered in flight. In the breeding season a repeated, pumping 'oo oo, whoa whoa' or 'wooo wooo', call both during the day and at night.
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) [XC635725]
by Sreekumar Chirukandoth from Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India (alarm call)
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) [XC792302]
by Dave GUO from Wakema (near Ka Ka Taik), Myaungmya, Ayeyarwady, Myanmar (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. March - November in its usual range.
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Nest
A simple platform, in a small tree or amongst grass or rice.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 6; milky-blue to greenish-blue; oval; 31 x 24 mm.
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) and Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus).
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) which has a shorter, thicker bill, a broken, dark, streak down the center of the foreneck and a glossy black back and tail.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet