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PLATE 13: BITTERNS
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris wv
L: 75. W: 130. Cryptically patterned brown heron, more often heard than seen. Smaller than Grey
Heron with stocky neck and entirely dark brown and golden-buff streaked plumage. In owl-like
flight (but with quick wingbeats) neck often extended in front, before being retracted. Juvenile
Black-crowned Night Heron is smaller and shows white spots on wings; juvenile Purple Heron lacks
streaks on back and has a long, thin neck. Voice In breeding season a loud boom, like blowing
across the mouth of an empty bottle, upwhoom, usually repeated many times; flight call a hoarse
kaau. Habitat Reedbeds; also wetlands with lush vegetation outside breeding season. Note
Passage and winter hatched, but rare in Arabia, including Oman.Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus pm
L: 35. W: 55. Small; conspicuous pale covert-panels contrasting with black flight feathers and
dark back diagnostic. Female Little Bittern resembles male but duller with a more rufous tinge and
buff streaks on upperparts and brownish streaks on underparts. Juvenile more boldly streaked buff
and brown with duller, streaked covert-panels. Legs greenish or yellowish. Most often seen in flight,
when flushed, usually flying a short distance on rather jerky wingbeats before diving into cover.
Voice In flight a short kek or repeated kek-kek-kek-kek; often calls at dusk. Male in breeding season
has loud croaking khok repeated at intervals of about two seconds. Habitat Well vegetated rivers,
ponds and lakes; often nests in loose colonies. Note Breeds S Oman; passage hatched.Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis rb, mb
L: 38. Secretive; structurally similar to Little Bittern but slightly larger with noticeably longer
bill; adult with upperparts pinkish-brown (not black or dark-streaked as in Little Bittern) and
upperwing-covert panel slightly buffier. Juvenile and immature similar to young Little Bittern but
colours muted, less brown, the streaking being soft cinnamon-rufous with pastel-grey feather
fringes, especially on underparts; mantle and back less densely streaked than Little Bittern;
crown with diffuse streaking (usually all dark in Little Bittern). Legs yellowish-green. Voice In flight
a staccato kakak. Habitat Reedbeds, well vegetated wetland fringes, often with trees or other
cover. Note Possibly resident Oman, common in S Oman, rare in N Oman; may breed Socotra, where
also appears to be resident.Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis V
L: 38. Adult cinnamon-tan above with warm cinnamon ear-coverts; in flight wings and tail
uniformly cinnamon above (Little Bittern shows strong contrast between coverts and flight
feathers in both sexes). Darker-crowned female more streaked below than male. Legs yellowish.
Immature dark brown, mottled paler above; more darkly streaked below than similar-aged Little
Bittern. Voice May give croaked kok when flushed. Habitat Wetlands, dykes and pond margins.
Note Vagrant Oman, UAE.Dwarf Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii V
L: 32. Small dark African species. Adult is dark grey above and whitish below with heavy black
stripes. Immature is very dark above and dark buff below with rufous spots and stripes on wings
and some black stripes on breast and belly. Voice Probably silent while in Oman. Habitat Wetlands
and pool with bushes. Note Vagrant Oman.