ID Keys: Yellowish-brown overall, darker above and lighter below,
black crown, long yellowish bill, yellow legs
The
Yellow Bittern is an Asian species, where they are found in parts of eastern
Asia, from Japan in the north to Indonesia in the south. In North
America, a confirmed sighting has only occurred once, on Attu Island on the
far outer edge of the Aleutian Island chain. They are very similar in
structure to North America's Least Bittern, and ecologically fill a very
similar niche. The Yellow Bittern is found in thick wetland
vegetation, where they can sometimes be difficult to observe. However,
they will also sometimes forage in the open, and they will readily fly when
disturbed, although flight tends to be rather low and for only short
distances.
Habitat
Found in wetlands and marshes, flooded
rice fields, and coastal mangroves.
Diet
Feeds on a variety of aquatic life,
including small fish, amphibians, aquatic insects and their larvae, and
crustaceans.
Behavior
Yellow Bitterns tend to stay in thick
wetland vegetation, and can be difficult to observe. They also are
often most active at dawn or dusk, or are nocturnal, making observation even
more difficult. They forage by moving slowly through the wetland
vegetation or waiting at the water's edge, thrusting their long bill out to
capture prey when prey is spotted.
Nesting
Nesting occurs in areas of herbaceous
vegetation, where a nesting platform is constructed from reeds and other
wetland vegetation. The female lays between 3 and 5 eggs. Both parents
help to incubate the eggs, and both parents help to raise the young after
the eggs hatch. The young leave the nest after about 2 weeks.
Song
Yellow Bitterns are usually silent
Migration
Yellow Bitterns are considered
permanent residents throughout much of their range, but birds in the
northern part of their breeding range will move short distances south for
the winter. Given that the species is typically a short-distance
migrant at best, additional sightings in North America are not considered
very likely.
