Black Bittern (Male): Ixobrychus flavicollis

Black Bittern (Male): Ixobrychus flavicollis

 

Black Bittern: Ixobrychus flavicollis. Also known as Yellow-necked Bittern or Mangrove Bittern.

 

Status: In India it is listed as Least Concern; however, in Australia it is listed as Vulnerable.

 

This one is a male of the species - sootier in colour than female (compare with female), which is dark brown-grey to black with buff streaks on the throat and characteristic yellow-orange streaks on each side of the head and neck. The inset shows the sooty back feathers while yellow striae are visible in profie. There is a fish impaled on his beak.

 

Booming call; limited migration; the wetlands of Indian sub-continent, China and Australia are its main habitat; nest among the grasses and reeds and on branches of trees on the banks of wetlands where they roost; nests are made of twigs and grass.

 

Feed both in day light and at night.

 

Reclusive and easily blend into the background.

 

The female of the species has also been spotted on this trip and merits an independent post on this blog.

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 2nd March, 2014

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens