South American bittern
| South American bittern | ||||||||||||
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South American bittern ( Botaurus pinnatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Botaurus pinnatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Wagler , 1829) |
The South American bittern ( Botaurus pinnatus ) is a species of the heron and belongs to the subfamily of the bittern . It occurs in two subspecies from the south of the North American continent to South America.
Appearance
The South American bittern reaches a height of 65 to 76 centimeters and weighs an average of 584 grams. The sexes are similar in appearance, but the females are smaller.
The plumage is generally brownish striped and spotted. The forehead is sooty brown, the sides of the face are ocher. The beak is yellowish. The irises are light yellow and the chin and upper throat are white. The fore neck and the sides of the body are also white, but have reddish brown longitudinal stripes. The back and the wing covers are brownish with sooty brown large spots. The legs are yellowish green.
Distribution area and habitat
The range of the South American bittern is disjoint . It occurs in El Salvador , Nicaragua , the east of Costa Rica , Colombia, the west of Ecuador, in the south of Venezuela, on Trinidad , in the south of Brazil, in Paraguay, in the north of Argentina and in the south of Mexico. It is not yet sufficiently clear whether the populations in the extreme north and south are migratory birds. At least for the southern area of distribution there are indications that the South American bittern migrate in a northerly direction after the breeding season, because they have not yet been observed here outside of the breeding season.
The habitat of the South American bittern are freshwater swamps with dense belts of reeds. For a heron species, they have an unusual height distribution. They have been observed in the Andes up to 2,480 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The food spectrum of the South American bittern consists of fish, frogs, snakes and insects. While foraging for food, the South American bittern takes a very crouched posture and walks very slowly.
The breeding time varies depending on the area of distribution. South American bitterns breed in Mexico from May to July, while they breed in October in northern Argentina. They build their nests in the reed belts. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. Reproductive biology has not yet been adequately studied, but it is likely that only the female breeds.
supporting documents
Single receipts
literature
- James A. Kushlan & James A. Hancock: Herons . Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-854981-4
Web links
- Botaurus pinnatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2013.