BirdUp · Species
Australasian Bittern
Botaurus poiciloptilus(Wagler, 1827)
Updated
Also known asMatuku-hūrepo
At a glance
The Australasian Bittern is a very large bird, about 66–76 cm long, listed as Endangered and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.
- Size
- 66–76 cm
- Conservation status
- Endangered
- Origin
- Native
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Rare
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does an Australasian Bittern look like?
The Australasian Bittern is a very large bird, about 66–76 cm long and weighing 571–2090 g.
The Australasian bittern, or Matuku-hūrepo in Māori, is a stocky, sizeable and elusive heron-like bird native to the wetlands of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. It belongs to the bittern subfamily of the heron family Ardeidae. The Australasian bittern is best known for its cryptic plumage and behaviours, which allows it to blend into the rushes and reeds of its wetland habitats, making it particularly difficult to spot. Despite being rarely seen, Australasian bittern males have a distinct "booming" call that can carry long distances. This call is said to resemble that of a Bunyip, which is why the Australasian bittern is often known as "the Bunyip Bird" in parts of Australia.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see an Australasian Bittern?
The Australasian Bittern is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
What does an Australasian Bittern eat?
The Australasian Bittern feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging alone.
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
4 photos
The BirdUp app
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