Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii)

Other Scientific Names
Ardeirallus sturmii [Cramp and Simmons (1977 - 1994)]

Other Names (World)
Dwarf Bittern, African Dwarf Bittern, Rail Heron

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
25 - 26 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Wagler, 1827)

Habitat
Thickets and forests with fluctuating water levels, frequenting the margins of freshwater rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and pools overhung with dense foliage, marshes with grasses or reeds, seasonally flooded areas, mangroves, rice-fields, and open grassy swamps with bulrushes or papyrus.

Range (Guide)

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], C�te dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa (B), Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania [United Republic of], Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Vagrant to Niger, Spain.

Africa south of Sahara, avoiding arid zones.

Population
Estimated population is 25,000 - 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
Hunting and trade for traditional medicine are the main threats.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Hunts alone or in pairs, usually at night but also by day if cloudy.

Food
Predominantly grasshoppers and frogs. Will also take water beetles, small fish, crabs, spiders and snails.

Voice
A croaking cry.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (4)...)

Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) [XC780640]
by from Mpolonjeni, Swaziland (call)

Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) [XC375030]
by from River B\u00e9nou\u00e9 near Garoua, North, Cameroon (flight call)

Nest
A platform of sticks on a horizontal or hanging branch of a tree or bush, overhanging water about 0.5 - 4 m above the surface. Nest alone or in small groups of a few dozen pairs.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 5; bluish-white; oval; 35 - 39 x 26 - 31 mm. Incubation: 14 - 15 days.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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