Genus Ixobrychus Higher classification Ixobrychus | Phylum Chordata Family Ardeidae Scientific name Ixobrychus sinensis Rank Species | |
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Similar Bird, Cinnamon bittern, Ixobrychus, Heron, Bittern | ||
The yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in the northern Indian Subcontinent, east to Japan and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Alaska and there is a single sighting in Britain, from Radipole Lake, Dorset on November 23, 1962 - however, the BOU have always considered this occurrence to be of uncertain provenance and currently it is not accepted onto the official British List.
Contents
This is a small species at 36 to 38 cm (14 to 15 in) in length, with a short neck and longish bill. The male is uniformly dull yellow above and buff below. The head and neck are chestnut, with a black crown. The female's crown, neck and breast are streaked brown, and the juvenile is like the female but heavily streaked brown below, and mottled with buff above. Yellow bitterns feed on insects, fish and amphibians.
Yellow bittern behaviour
Breeding habitat
The yellow bittern's breeding habitat is reed beds. They nest on platforms of reeds in shrubs. Four to six eggs are laid. They can be difficult to see, given their skulking lifestyle and reed bed habitat, but tend to fly fairly frequently, when the striking contrast between the black flight feathers and the otherwise yellowish plumage makes them unmistakable.
Protected status
The yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
