The Little Bittern 

 THE LITTLE BITTERN 



Ardetta minuta (Linnaeus) 



This species is abundant in summer throughout Central 

 and Southern Europe, migrating to Africa for the winter 

 months. To Northern Europe it is only a scarce straggler, 

 but in the United Kingdom it has been obtained fairly 

 frequently, especially in our eastern and southern counties, 

 and there is little doubt that it has on more than one 

 occasion stayed to breed. It inhabits thick reed-beds, and 

 when disturbed either creeps away with great speed through 

 the vegetation or remains motionless with head erect, in 

 which position it closely resembles the reeds. 



The male has the crown, nape, back, quills, and tail 

 greenish black, the rest of the plumage buff, paler on the 

 wing coverts. The female has the crown, nape, and back 

 brown, and the under parts buff, streaked with brown. 

 The young resemble the female. Length 13 in.; wing 6 in. 



THE COMMON BITTERN 



Botaurus stellaris (Linnaeus) 



Owing to drainage and cultivation, the Bittern, which 

 used formerly to breed in various swamps and reed-beds, 

 especially in our eastern counties, is now only known as a 

 migrant. It still occurs yearly on our shores, and if 



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