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Black Bittern
Ixobrychus flavicollis
Conservation Status
Vulnerable species in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act). At national level it is regarded as a species ‘of special concern’.
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What does it look like?The Black Bittern is dark grey to black in colour with buff streaks on the throat and a characteristic yellow streak on the sides of the head and down the neck. The female is paler in colour than the male and the underparts are streaked with yellow, white and black. (from NPWS Species Profile) |
Where does it live?
Usually found along timbered watercourses, in wetlands where there are fringing trees and particularly in northern Australia, in mangroves. Occurs in both freshwater habitats and estuarine or brackish habitats and is generally associated with permanent rather than temporary waters. Typically rests by day in waterside trees and shrubs, which are an important habitat feature, but may form only a narrow fringe to the wetland or watercourse.
It lives in southern Asia, New Guinea and Australia. There are at least three subspecies. The Australian birds have been treated by some authors as an endemic subspecies, gouldii, but are now considered to be subspecies australis, which also occurs in New Guinea and Indonesia. The species occurs across northern Australia and down the eastern seaboard to eastern Victoria, with an isolated and declining population in the south-west of Western Australia. There have been repeated records over the last decade suggesting that the Black Bittern, a sedentary species, is resident along the lower section of Deep Creek, recently recorded in 2007. It has also been observed in Warriewood Wetlands.
What does it eat?
They forage at the edge of running or still waters. Mostly crepuscular or nocturnal, but may also feed during the day. The diet includes fish, frogs, lizards, crustaceans, insects and molluscs.
What is its life cycle?
The Black Bittern breeds in dense waterside vegetation in secluded places, building a stick nest usually in a leafy tree overhanging or near the water. The breeding season is September to March. The clutch size is three to five.
Updated: 04 Jul 2011
Related Links
- Black Bittern - NPWS Species Profile