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Botaurus stellaris |
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Family: | Bitterns and Herons |
| Present: | all year | |
| Diet: | fish, insects, anphibians | |
| Breeding: | 80 males |
Seen at RSPB Minsmere
A thickset bird with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. Its dependence on reedbeds and very small population make it an Amber List species.
Bitterns are a member of the heron family of wading birds, with shorter necks. They usually frequent reed beds and similar marshy areas, and feed on amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish.
We have seen them at Minsmere twice now