Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus)
Description
- The Australasian Bittern is a large, secretive bird that lives in the wetlands.
- It has a thick neck and brown, mottled feathers with dark brown and black patterns.
- It grows up to 66-76 cm and has a wingspan of 105-118 cm.
- It eats fish, tadpoles, frogs, eels, freshwater crayfish, insects, and small mammals.
- It breeds from October to February, usually in solitary pairs, and lays between 3-6 eggs.
- It is nomadic and moves between wetlands as conditions change.
Find out more about the Australasian Bittern on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
The Australasian Bittern is found in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. There are less than 1,000 of the birds remaining in Australia. They’re found:
- from southeast Queensland to southeast South Australia
- Tasmania
- southwestern Western Australia.
The largest breeding population is found in the rice fields of the Riverina in NSW during summer. The species is rarely seen in the ACT. Between 1940 and 2014, there are only 2 recorded sightings of the bird in the area. Most sightings happen outside the ACT, but since 2014 sightings have been reported at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Lake Ginninderra, McKellar Wetland, Red Hill, Acacia Inlet and AFP Majura Complex.
The Australasian Bittern lives in freshwater wetland with tall, thick vegetation. It prefers to feed in areas that:
- have calm, shallow water around 30cm deep
- are near edges of ponds or have mats of plants that cover deeper water
- have sedges, rushes, reeds or grasses growing on muddy or peaty ground.
Conservation threats
The main threats to the Australasian Bittern include:
- loss or change of wetlands because of urban and farm development
- predators such as foxes and cats
- urban wetlands being used for stormwater control, which causes water levels to go up and down
- poor water quality due to salinity, silt, and pollution.
Conservation status
- International Endangered (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List).
- National Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
The ACT is not a major area or breeding site for the Australasian Bittern since they’re only seen occasionally. Some places where the Australasian Bittern has been spotted in the ACT are already protected for other birds that face similar problems. Conservation aims to:
- control feral predators around wetland areas
- manage water levels to protect their habitat.