Little Bittern
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| Little Bittern | ||||||||||||||
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| Ixobrychus minutus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Little Bittern, Ixobrychus minutus, is a very small bittern, 33-38 cm in length with a 49-58 cm wingspan. It is of Old World origins, breeding in much of temperate Europe and western Asia. It is a migrant, wintering in Africa. It is rare north of its breeding range.
This is a small species with a short neck, longish bill and buff underparts. The male's back and crown are black, and the wings are black with a large white patch on each wing. The female has a browner back and a buff-brown wing patch.
The Little Bittern's breeding habitat is reedbeds. It nests on platforms of reeds in shrubs, and 4-8 eggs are laid. It can be difficult to see, given its skulking lifestyle and reedbed habitat.
These bitterns feed on insects, fish and amphibians.
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