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Black Bittern
(Ixobrychus flavicollis)
: "Yellow-necked Bittern", "Yellow-necked Mangrove Bittern"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "australis":
"wandjima" (WA); "woggal"
Size: 55-65 cm
Weight: 275-430 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Black Bitterns are the second-largest bitterns in Australia.
Their highly cryptic
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females are slightly different.
Male
Black Bitterns have a black crown, cheeks and nape of the neck.
Along the sides of the neck there is a long, prominent yellowish
streak on either side. The front of the neck is dark-brown to
black, with heavy white streaking.
Wings, belly, vent, undertail and tail are all near-black.
Females
have paler upperparts that are dark grey-brown, rather than
almost black, and the front is more yellow-brown, rather than
black-and-white.
The irises of both sexes are yellow. The straight bill is dark-grey;
the legs and feet are yellowish-grey.
Juveniles
resemble females,
with wide buff edge lining of the feathers giving them a scalloped
appearance.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Black
Bittern at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Black Bittern is available
HERE
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Black Bitterns are found over a wide range, through tropical Asia,
from south-eastern Pakistan, India and Ceylon to eastern China,
Korea and Japan, plus Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, some of the smaller
South Pacific islands and Australia.
In Australia, Black Bitterns occur only in a few areas, most
importantly the tropical North, from the Kimberley, through the
Top End of the NT,
along the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, throughout Cape
York peninsula, along (near-)coastal eastern QLD, down into the
northern NSW coastal areas. They are also present on some off-shore
islands in that
range. There are only occasional sightings
farther to the South, near the NSW/VIC border. Very rarely, they
are also found inland, in the upper Murray-Darling Basin, on the
western side of the Great Dividing Range, in inland NSW. There is
also a population of Black Bitterns in a narrow coastal fringe at
the SW tip of WA, from Perth to about Albany, WA.
Black Bitterns have a preference for
mangroves
and vegetation along
streams and creeks.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "australis"
J. Greaves reports first spotting a Black Bittern, race
"australis",
at Yellow Water
billabong,
Kakadu NP,
NT, in November 2014.
M. Mearns spotted a Black Bittern, race
"australis",
in the Kinkuna section of Burrum Coast NP, near Bundaberg, QLD, in
October 2015.
In January 2016, J. Greaves reports spotting a Black Bittern, race
"australis",
at the Parry Creek Road Crossing, Wyndham, WA.
M. Eaton found a Black Bittern, race
"australis",
on the Daintree River, QLD, in December 2018.
J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding a Black Bittern, race
"australis",
occasionally along the Daintree River, QLD.
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Photos |
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Race "australis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Frontal view of a male Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kinkuna section, Burrum Coast NP, near Bundaberg, QLD, October 2015]
Near-frontal view of a male Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2019]
Lateral view of a male Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kinkuna section, Burrum Coast NP, near Bundaberg, QLD, October 2015]
Lateral view of a Black Bittern taking off from the bank of a
creek
when spotting the photographer; the yellow side of the neck and the
very dark crown suggest that this is a male bird
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Parry Creek Road Crossing, Wyndham, WA, January 2016]
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FEMALE |
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Near-dorsal view of a female Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]
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Breeding information |
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Breeding season: Sep - Dec |
Eggs: 3 - 5 |
Incubation period: ca. 23 days |
Fledging age: ca. 35 days |
The breeding season of the Black Bittern depends on
geographical latitude. The period listed in the table above refers
to the East of Australia. In the tropical North the breeding season
is usually from December to March.
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"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna",
"jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket |
Material: Sticks |
Height above ground: <15 m |
Black Bitterns tend to nest above, or close to, water.
Black Bittern chicks in their nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, March 2020]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk",
"ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg;
"dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 44 x 35 mm |
Colour: Creamy |
Shape: Tapered oval |
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.