Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Herons, Egrets and Bitterns :: Great Bittern

Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris

Described by: Linnaeus (1758)
Alternate common name(s): Eurasian Bittern, African Bittern, Common Bittern, Bittern
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

Gullegem, Belgium - Jan 12, 2003 © Yves Baptiste  Asprokremnos Dam Pools, Paphos, Cyprus - Nov 21, 2002 © Jeff Gordon  Asprokremnos Dam Pools, Paphos, Cyprus - Nov 21, 2002 © Jeff Gordon  Netherlands - 2003 © Ben van den Broek 
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Range

W. Europe to e. Asia; S. Africa;
Fragmented distribution;
(1) Se. Angola, nn. Zambia, s. Tanzania, Malawi, c. Mozambique, e. Namibia, nw. Botswana, e. South Africa.
(2) Europe from s. British Isles, and s. Scandinavia in s. Sweden and Finland (Liminka Bay, Oulu Province) e. to c. Russia (Ufa) and s. to Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, England, n. West Germany, Denmark, s. to w. Slovakia (Senne), Hungary (Apaj Puszta, Kiskunsag and Hortobagy National Parks), Turkey, s. Russia, n. Iran, Afghanistan and Sardinia, n. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and from c. Siberia (Aral Sea, Lake Balkhash, Lake Baikal) to Yakutia, Amurland, Ussuriland, Sakhalin Is., n. Manchuria, nw. Mongolia, w. China (Shantung s. to Hopeh), n. Japan (Hokkaido).
Disperses to n. and c. Africa, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan (Sind), n. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Malaya, Thailand, Cambodia, c. Annam, n. Laos, e. China (Yangtze Valley s. to Kwangtung, Kwangsi, sw. Yunnan) and Taiwan.

Videos

No videos are available for this species

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Massaciuccolis Oasis
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Avisoft
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: ETI BioInformatics

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

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