Little Bittern

Botaurus minutus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Little Bittern, Botaurus minutus, is a heron in the family Ardeidae that breeds across the Palearctic and in Africa, from southern and central Europe through central Asia and north-west India. It is the smallest breeding heron in Europe, and is noted for its very small build, long pointed bill and thick neck. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1766. It was formerly placed in Ixobrychus, but is now included in Botaurus. Its range also includes Madagascar, with birds from temperate areas moving to Africa and farther south in Asia.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
Breeding range
Palearctic, Africa: s, c Europe to c Asia, nw India and Africa
Little Bittern
© Иван Везенковић · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

17 tours in Portugal 11, Ukraine 1, Czech Republic 1, Azerbaijan 1, Spain 1, South Africa 1, Namibia 1

Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Ukraine / Lviv Private tour 1 day

A private full-day wetland birding trip from Lviv to Cholgini Ornithological Reserve, with telescope observation and a picnic lunch....

From EUR 160
Private Best of Prague Full-Day Birding Tour
Private Best of Prague Full-Day Birding Tour
Czech Republic / Prague Private tour 1 day

Sample Prague’s wetlands, river corridors and mature deciduous woodland on a private 8-hour birding day, with a conditional 12-hour owl ex...

From CZK 8,300
Day trip - Shirvan-Gobustan
Day trip - Shirvan-Gobustan
Azerbaijan / Baku Private tour 1 day

A full-day route from Baku through Shirvan wetlands and steppe, Gobustan birding sites and the Gilinj mud volcano landscape, with seasonal t...

From USD 440
Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

Five days of field photography across Tagus and Sado wetlands, Castro Verde’s open plains and the rocky Guadiana country, beginning and en...

Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 8 days

An eight-day bird-photography journey from Lisbon through the Tagus and Sado estuaries, Castro Verde, Guadiana Valley and the Algarve wetlan...

Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group birding and conservation programme linking Tagus Estuary fieldwork with Guadiana Valley and Castro Verde monitoring a...

Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group route from Lisbon through the Tagus Estuary, Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley, returning via the Sado Estuary wetland...

Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Aveiro Private tour 1 day

A full-day private trip from Porto to Aveiro Lagoon, exploring salt marshes, mudflats, dunes, brackish channels and adjoining freshwater far...

From EUR 300
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Porto Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Porto, combining Barrinha de Esmoriz’s coastal lagoon with selected habitats around the Douro Es...

From EUR 160
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

A flexible private Algarve birding day built around Salgados, Ria de Alvor, Cape St. Vincent or the Monchique uplands, depending on season a...

Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Spain / Huelva Private tour 1 day

A full-day private excursion from the eastern Algarve to the wetlands of southwest Spain, with birding shaped around Odiel Marshes or the Do...

From EUR 360
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding in the eastern Algarve, centered on the wetlands of Ria Formosa and Castro Marim within easy reach of F...

From EUR 160
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

A customizable private birding day from Lisbon, selecting one of several coastal, wetland, mountain or inland destinations to match season a...

Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Setubal Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day exploration of the Sado Estuary, combining tidal wetlands, rice fields, dunes and Mediterranean woodland just b...

From EUR 190
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Lisbon across the Tagus Estuary’s mudflats, salt pans, reedbeds, rice fields and wooded margins....

From EUR 160
Private Cape Peninsula Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
Private Cape Peninsula Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 1 day

A flexible private day from Cape Town combining Kirstenbosch, peninsula wetlands and an African Penguin colony, with Cape endemics and coast...

From ZAR 7,000
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Namibia / Walvis Bay Group tour 18 days

An 18-day birding expedition from Namibia's Atlantic coast through Etosha and the Okavango Panhandle to Victoria Falls, combining desert nea...

From USD 10,206