BITTERN
The Eurasian bittern or great bittern is a secretive bird which skulks around in reed beds and is seldom seen in the open. I was very fortunate to spot my first one at Livadi marsh at the end of 2025. Bitterns are thickset herons with bright, pale, brown to buff plumage with bars and dark streaks. The male is bigger than the female and can reach 800mm in length with a 1300mm wingspan. They are heard more than seen, with the males booming call in Spring being very distinctive. When alarmed in the reeds, they adopt the camouflage posture with their bill pointing straight up.
The bittern's nest is as you would expect, in the reeds at the water's edge. The female lays 4 to 6 eggs in April to May. She incubates the eggs and when they hatch, she alone, feeds the chicks. The young are in the nest for 2 weeks and when they leave, the female cares for the chicks until they fully fledge at 6 weeks old. Bitterns feed on fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, and fledgling birds. Bitterns have a single habitat, reedbeds with deep water. Unfortunately, a lot of these habitats are drying out and consequently, the bittern is at risk.
