Home Log Out
Birdpedia - Nicaragua         | Home | Birds | Calendar | Reserves | Field Trips | Sightings | Reports | Contacts | [HBW - BirdLife (v3)] 29/03/2024 09:29:37 AM
Species Database
Find
Quick Links
News
 
Species Details [Taxonomy: HBW - BirdLife (v3)] Print... Email... 

 EN    Australasian Bittern* Id (Atlas):
    Botaurus poiciloptilus

Description (10)
Image of Australasian Bittern
 

Other Names (World)
Australasian Bittern, Australian Bittern, Brown Bittern, Black-backed Bittern, Boomer, Bullhead, Bunyip, Bullbird

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
66 - 76 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Wagler, 1827)

Derivation
Bo-taür'-us - probably a combination of two Latin words for bull (bos + taurus = botaurus): pöï-ci-lop'-til-us - Gk, poiclos, mottled; Gk, ptilon, feather

Habitat
Terrestrial wetlands, and occasionally estuarine habitats. Favours permanent freshwater, particularly those dominated by sedges, rush, reeds or cutting grass, growing over peaty or muddy ground.

Range (Guide)
Australia (B) (NB), New Zealand (B) (NB).

Unknown to New Caledonia (B).

South-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. New Caledonia and Loyalty Is.
 
Population
Estimated population is 1,000 - 2,499 (2010) and decreasing.

Status EN
Wetland drainage for agriculture, as well as increased salinity of its habitats are the main threats.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Fish, frogs, yabbies and other aquatic life.

Voice
An abrupt, harsh, 'craaak!' is uttered in alarm. At night, during spring and summer, males utter a deep, resonant, two-syllable, booming, 'oo-oom, oo-oom', repeatedly.



Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (2)...)

 
Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) [XC207686]
     by John Graff from Christchurch, Christchurch City, Canterbury, New Zealand (song)

 
Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) [XC120601]
     by Pieter de Groot Boersma from Swamp near Cape Le Grand National Park, south coast Western Australia, Australia (call, territorial call)

Nest
A well-structured flat saucer of flat peices of reeds or rushes, in a stand of rushes, about 2.5 m in height, in swamps. Semi-colonial.

Eggs (Guide)
4 - 6; olive-brown; oval; about 52 x 38 mm. Incubation: about 25 days; by female.

Young
Fledge in about 28 days, but venture out from the nest into the surrounding reeds after several weeks.

Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris). Sometimes considered a subspecies of Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris). A population of south-western Australia has been proposed as a distinct subspecies westralensis, and birds from New Zealand subspecies maorensis.

No subspecies.

Similar Species
Juvenile Rufous Night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) which is smaller, with a lighter build, and has a more hunched appearance.


References
See References.

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


Files:
JPG files for Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) - 10 filesMP3 files for Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) - 2 files


More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Australasian Bittern see... Show Articles BirdLife International Species Factsheet.


Articles about the Australasian Bittern

If you would like to read any articles about the Australasian Bittern... Show Articles Show Articles (0)


No Pictures of Australasian Bittern

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Australasian Bittern or you would like to see more, then try the following...

      Show External Images from BING From BING (10)


No Videos of Australasian Bittern

If Birdpedia has no videos of Australasian Bittern or you would like to see more, then try the following..

      Show External Videos From BING (0)