The Bittern is a rare and endangered bird that came from Australasia.

The females have a browner back than the male do and their wings are also brown. The male’s wings are both black with a white patch on each. They have brown and white striped feathers and a longish beak. Along with the beak they have quite a stretched neck too. Their wingspan is 100-130 cm long. They weigh 600 gm, and in length, they are 69 – 81 cm.

Bitterns eat small amphibians, like, frogs and salamander. Their diet also contains small mammals, worms, small snakes, insects, invertebrates and crayfish. When hunting their prey they stand stock still in the water and wait until their prey comes close enough to catch.

The Bitterns habitat is in New Zealand, Australia and lots of other places. They live in streams, wetlands, creeks and freshwater marshes with tall vegetation. Although they live in a lot of places their homeland is Australasia.

Bittern lay eggs not live babies. Their breeding season is all year except June and July. The egg-laying dates are August – December. The eggs are completely white all over. The 3 – 5 eggs are incubated by the female alone for 25 days. When hatched the chicks are small, light brown coloured and fluffy. The male bittern breed with up to five female in their lifetime.

I think bittern are amazing birds, and it’s very sad that they are an endangered species.

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