Australasian Bittern

When to see the Australasian Bittern

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Australasian Bittern

The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Australasian Bittern

The Australasian bittern, or Matuku-hūrepo in Māori, is a stocky, sizeable and elusive heron-like bird native to the wetlands of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. It belongs to the bittern subfamily of the heron family Ardeidae. The Australasian bittern is best known for its cryptic plumage and behaviours, which allows it to blend into the rushes and reeds of its wetland habitats, making it particularly difficult to spot. Despite being rarely seen, Australasian bittern males have a distinct "booming" call that can carry long distances. This call is said to resemble that of a Bunyip, which is why the Australasian bittern is often known as "the Bunyip Bird" in parts of Australia.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Pinnated BitternBotaurus pinnatusThe pinnated bittern is a large heron, measuring between 25–30 in (64–76 cm) with a weight that ranges from 554 to 1,157 g (1.2 to 2.6 lb); males typically weigh considerably more than females. Stripe-backed BitternBotaurus involucrisStripe-backed bitterns are very small, averaging from 28 to 35 cm in length. Least BitternBotaurus exilisThe least bittern is one of the smallest herons in the world, with perhaps only the dwarf bittern and the black-backed bittern averaging smaller in length.