Appearance
Bitterns are thickset herons with bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars, similar in appearance to the to the American Bittern, ''Botaurus lentiginosa''. The Eurasian or Great Bittern is 69–81 cm in length, with a 100–130 cm wingspan and a body mass of 0.87–1.94 kg . Their most distinctive feature is the males booming call in spring.
Naming
The Latin for bittern, ''Botaurus'', also refers to the bull. The other part of its scientific name, ''stellata'' is the Latin for ''starry'', in reference to its plumage. Its folk names include "barrel-maker", "bog-bull", "bog hen", "bog-trotter" and "mire drum", mainly with reference to its voice or habitat. "Butterbump" derives from Norfolk and refers to its high fat content when eaten as food.
Distribution
Distribution in Europe as a whole is estimated at 20-44,000 males. It usually inhabits ''Phragmites'' reedbeds. The population is declining in much of its temperate European and Asian range. It is resident in the milder west and south, but migrates south from areas where the water freezes in winter. In the UK, the main areas are Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs. In Ireland it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford.
Behavior
Usually solitary, it walks stealthily as it forages. If it senses that it has been seen, it becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dawn and dusk.
Habitat
Distribution in Europe as a whole is estimated at 20-44,000 males. It usually inhabits ''Phragmites'' reedbeds. The population is declining in much of its temperate European and Asian range. It is resident in the milder west and south, but migrates south from areas where the water freezes in winter. In the UK, the main areas are Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs. In Ireland it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford.
Reproduction
Males are polygamous with each mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of a platform some 30 cm across. Four or five eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female bird. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest and then disperse amongst the reeds.Food
Bitterns feed on fish, eels, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water.References:
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