I have kept a few of these birds in captivity, two 

 or three through their first moult, but they are decidedly 

 the most delicate of the European Ardeidce in confine- 

 ment, with perhaps the exception of the Little Bittern. 

 My birds became fairly tame, but generally remained 

 singly under the shelter of bushes, from which they 

 occasionally stalked out to seize a frog or some other 

 dainty in the grass, or from their troughs of water. 

 The only note that I ever heard from the Squacco was a 

 harsh rattling croak. 



This bird is more or less common throughout the 

 Mediterranean as a summer visitor. I found it to be 

 tolerably frequent in the marshes of Cyprus in April 

 and May. 



