Little bittern

Ixobrychus minutus
Herons (Ardeidae)

♀

Little bitternon RikenMon's Nature-Guide

CC-BY-SA 2.0 rights : Ferran Pestaña

A small colourful heron with a thick neck pointed beak and yellow-green legs. The upper surface of the wings is ochre yellow with dark tips and dark rear edges. The ♀ is ochre with dark brown and a striped breast, the ♂ is more light yellow with a black back and head. The young have striped markings.

A shy bird that hides in the reeds. In spring it reveals its presence by its call at dawn or at night or when it rains. 

⇔ l. 25-36 cm

A migratory bird, winters in southern Africa and Australia. The smallest European heron.

LA:
≈ The NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX (Night heron) and the BOTAURUS STELLARIS (Bittern) have a similar shape with the thick neck and rather long legs but they are larger.

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