Little Bittern

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Ixobrychus minutus

Little Bitterns are shy birds, usually solitary, active by day and night and almost entirely restricted to dense reedbeds occurring along rivers, streams and dams, in marshes and even at waste water works. They feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates, frogs and fish.

These herons form monogamous pairs, with the male taking responsibility for building the platform nest on the edge of the reedbed. They breed from spring to autumn and pairs often raise two broods per year. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2-5 eggs over a 3 week period and provide food to the chicks after they’ve hatched. The chicks start clambering away from the nest when they’re only around 10 days old and can fly by the time they’re a month old. They’re among the smallest kinds of herons, weighing only about 110g and measuring about 36cm in length.

The Little Bittern has an enormous distribution, occurring over sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, along the Nile, throughout Europe and into western and central Asia. In South Africa specifically it is sparsely distributed through most of the country, but cannot be considered common anywhere, though their numbers are boosted in this part of the world by the arrival of migrating birds from the northern hemisphere in our summer months. According to the IUCN the species is of least concern.

Little Bittern
Little Bittern
Little Bittern
Immature Little Bittern
Immature Little Bittern

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