220 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



siderably darker on upper-parts. Size, variegated buff and black 

 plumage and barred wing-feathers distinguish Bittern from other 

 British Bitterns and Herons. 



Field-characters. — Skulks in dense reed-beds or rank vegetation 

 of swamps and fens and is seldom abroad in daytime except when 

 there are young to be fed. Plumage, golden-buff barred and 

 mottled with black, assimilates closely in colour to its surroundings, 

 whether bird crouches with head resting on shoulders and bill 

 pointing upwards or stands stiffly erect with body much attenuated 

 and bill vertical. In flight, which is slow and owl-like, rounded 

 wings, brown colour, retracted head (neck extended until bird is 

 well on the wing) and trailing grass -green legs are unmistakable. 

 Call-note a hoarse, croaking " aark, aark " (Turner) ; love-call of male 

 a deep far-reaching bellow ; nestlings utter a cackling hunger-cry. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts dense reed-beds and swamps. Nest. — 

 Usually in reed-bed among stems of dead reeds, but has been met 

 with on tussock in open water, incubating bird in full sight. Built 

 of bits of reed-stalks and small for size of bird, only a few inches 

 above water-level. Eggs. — 4-6, olive-brown, sometimes with fine 

 brown speckles, chiefly at large end. Average of 66 eggs, 52.6 X 

 38.5. Max. : 58.2x37.1 and 54x41. Min. : 47.5x35.7 and 51.6 X 

 35.5 mm . Breeding-season. — Variable ; eggs found end March onward 

 till late May in England and April to June in central Europe. 

 Incubation. — According to Naumann by female only. Period 25 

 days from laying of 1st egg to hatching of 1st chick. (E. L. Turner.) 

 No proof of second brood. 



Food. — Varied, including small mammals (water-vole, shrew and 

 mouse) ; fish up to considerable size (eels up to 15 in., pike, dace, 

 roach, trout and bull -head), frogs, newts, Crustacea (small crabs 

 and shrimps), insects (esp. water-beetles, Notonecta and diptera). 

 Also remains of sea-weed, water-weed and grass. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter- visitor chiefly, but often 

 also in summer. Breeds regularly Norfolk. Used to breed regularly 

 in many places England, Wales, south Scotland, and Ireland, and 

 in Norfolk even down to 1868, while in 1886 a young one with down 

 still upon it was found there ; in 1911 it was proved to have bred 

 again in Norfolk (E. L. Turner, Brit. B., v, pp. 90-97), and has 

 since bred there in gradually increasing numbers (at least 12 pairs 

 1920). To Scotland irregular visitor, but has occurred most parts 

 (mainland and islands), as also in Ireland. 



Distribution.— A broad. — Temperate portions of Palsearctic region 

 east to Japan generally, in Europe north to Scandinavia, south to 

 N.W. Africa ; migrating to Africa, Mediterranean countries and 

 India. Replaced by closely-allied subspecies in tropical Africa, 

 Madagascar and Australia. 



