THE CHESTNITT BTTTEHK 
Ixobrychus cinnamometis (Cm.) 
Malay names: — GSlam; Ptichong, 
Description: — The adult male has the whole of the upper 
parts, including the wings, pale chestnut in colour: the under 
surface is much lighter and is perhaps best described as almost 
uniform light tawny. The young birds are rather different 
being somewhat browner and less chestnut on the upper parts 
with irregular markings of yellowish and black- On the under 
surface they are heavily streaked and a good number of the 
birds seen, even if not in this immature plumage, show signs 
of it> especially in the matter of the streaking of the breast and 
abdomen. There seems to be some doubt as to whether the 
female ever attains the almost immaculate plumage of the male. 
The bill is yellow shaded with brown, the irides are likewise 
yellow and the feet are yellowish-green. 
In length this bird runs to about 15 inches and the wing 
from 5i to 6 inches. 
Distribution : — ^The chestnut bittern is found in China and 
East Siberia as well as in India and through the Malay 
Peninsula and the islands as far east as the Philippines and 
Celebes, In the Malay Peninsula it is common. 
Status in Singapore: — A common bird of the swampy 
places and found in just the localities liked by the snipe. 
Small marshy patches with long grass usually yield a bittern 
or two if walked through. They are not birds of the mangrove 
or sea-coasts but prefer spots like the low lying damp ground 
on the south of the Mandai Road. 
Field Notes : — These birds are usually flushed singly ; they 
sit rather close and when they jump tip the long legs dangling 
down and behind are noticeable. They usually fly round in 
the air and drop back to cover again, or flying off straight and 
just topping the grass, drop to ground again after a very 
short flight. They seem to keep to cover during most of the 
day, commencmg to feed in the late afternoon. 
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