Formerly lumped with the little bittern, it is one of the smallest herons in the world.
WA: Endangered; NT: Endangered
Indigenous: Minute Bittern, Kaoriki, Little Bittern
At a glance
FamilyHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns
SizeLarge
RarityUncommon
HabitatHabitat The birds are mainly found in freshwater wetlands, where they inhabit dense emergent vegetation of reeds and sedges, and inundated shrub thickets.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from December to January.
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
3852approx records
6states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Tiny secretive heron. Adult male has black back, brown neck, and streaked reddish-brown underparts. Female and juvenile lack black back and have streaked underparts. Most commonly observed in early morning or evening clambering along the edge of reed beds.
Behavior
Calls include a distinctive repeated growling or croaking bark.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
South Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory