Eurasian Bittern

Eurasian bitterns breed across temperate western Europe and through Eurasia to Japan. Migratory populations winter in central and southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and around the southern Mediterranean, while some remain year-round in the British Isles and Netherlands. They depend on dense reedbeds, marsh vegetation, saw-sedge, rice fields, and early-successional wetlands. Especially favorable sites combine shallow water, thick nesting cover, and nearby deeper, more open water. Adults measure 64 to 80 centimeters long and span approximately 125 to 135 centimeters. (Animal Diversity Web)

Bitterns hunt in shallow wetland water, taking fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, and other small aquatic prey. Their streaked plumage provides exceptional camouflage, and an alarmed bird may stretch upright and sway like surrounding reeds. Males are polygynous and advertise with deep booming calls that can travel several kilometers. Females build the nest, incubate, and feed the brood without male assistance. A clutch contains three to six eggs, averaging about four, and incubation lasts approximately 25 days. (Animal Diversity Web)