Australasian bittern

Australasian bittern
By J. G. Keulemans in Buller's A History of the Birds of New Zealand
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Botaurus
Species:
B. poiciloptilus
Binomial name
Botaurus poiciloptilus
(Wagler, 1827)
Global range
  Year-round range
  Summer range
  Winter range

The Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), 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.[2] It belongs to the bittern subfamily of the heron family Ardeidae.[2] 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.[2][3] Despite being rarely seen, Australasian bittern males have a distinct "booming" call that can carry long distances.[3]

Physically, the Australasian bittern stands around 66-76 cm tall with a wingspan of around a metre long.[4][5] Its streaky, beige, mottled plumage allows it to camouflage itself among the reeds and rushes of its habitat to avoid predators and hunt for prey, undetected.[6] The species primarily feeds on fish, amphibians, and invertebrates, which it hunts by quietly stalking through shallow waters or remaining "frozen" before ambushing its prey.[4][6][7]

Historically, the Australasian bittern was described in the early 19th century and has since been of significant interest due to its cryptic nature.[2][6] The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and continues to experience population declines resulting from habitat reduction and disturbance from wetland drainage, climate change and agricultural expansion.[8][9] Conservation efforts are therefore becoming increasingly necessary for its survival.[9]

Researchers continue to attempt to understand this birds' daily patterns, ecology, and breeding behaviour to improve current conservation strategies, although their cryptic nature makes this particularly difficult.[3][6]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2022). "Botaurus poiciloptilus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22697353A217377735. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T22697353A217377735.en. Retrieved 10 December 2022.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ a b c d Heather, B. D., & Robertson, H. A. (1996). The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd.
  3. ^ a b c O’Donnell, C. F. J., Williams, E. M., & Cheyne, J. (2013). Close approaches and acoustic triangulation: techniques for mapping the distribution of booming Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) on small wetlands. Notornis, 60, 279–284.
  4. ^ a b McKilligan, N. (2005). Herons, egrets and bitterns: their biology and conservation in Australia. CSIRO publishing.
  5. ^ New Zealand Birds Online. (2024). Australasian bittern. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Williams, E. M. (2016). Developing monitoring methods for cryptic species: A case study for the Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus [Thesis, Massey University].
  7. ^ Menkhorst, P. (2012). The food and foraging rate of an Australasian Bittern. Australian Field Ornithology, 29(3), 133–142.
  8. ^ International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (2024). Australasian Bittern. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Herring, M. W., Robinson, W., Zander, K. K., & Garnett, S. T. (2019). Rice fields support the global stronghold for an endangered waterbird. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 284, 106599.