Summary ³

The Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), also known as the Brown Bittern, is a large bird in the heron family.

Description ⁴

It is a large bittern, patterned and streaked brown, buff and black, with a pale throat. It has a distinctive booming voice and may be heard more often than seen.

Distribution and habitat ⁴

It is found in south-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Ouvea. Populations in Australia and New Zealand have declined in the 20th century. It is a cryptic and partly nocturnal species that inhabits densely vegetated wetlands.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) David Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/16520061@N08/1963858157
2. John Gould, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bitterngould.jpg
3. Adapted by Brittany Burson from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botaurus_poiciloptilus
4. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_Bittern

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• VertNet
• Xeno-canto

Range Map

(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)

iNat Map