Great Bittern
Scientific Name: Botaurus stellarisMaltese Name: Kappun
Family: Bitterns and herons (Ardeidae)
Occurence: Very Scarce Migrant
Breeds in Malta: No
Overview:
A thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. The Bittern is usually well-hidden in Phragmites reedbeds. Usually solitary, it walks stealthily seeking fish, frogs, small mammals and insects. If it senses that it has been seen, it becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dawn and dusk. Its folk names include "barrel-maker" and "bog-bull" mostly refer to the mating call of the male, which is a deep fog-horn or bull-like boom, easily audible from a distance of 2 miles on a calm night.
Status:
Very scarce migrant. Usually recorded singly but occasionally seen in small flocks. (A flock of 6 was recorded from Buskett on the 24th of October 2008)
When to See:
Mid-march to late Apil and from late September to late November.
Where to See:
Mostly seen at Simar Nature Reserve during migration. May be seen flying over from anywhere during migration.
Photographs:
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Great Bittern, Simar Nature Reserve, 6th March 1996 |
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| Great Bittern, Simar Nature Reserve, 3rd April 2009 | Great Bittern,in "bittern stance", Simar Nature Reserve, 3rd April 2009 |
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