Yellow Bittern

Botaurus sinensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

Yellow Bittern, Botaurus sinensis, occurs across the Palearctic, the Indian Ocean region and the Oriental Region, with breeding records from Oman, the Inner Seychelles, Pakistan and Sri Lanka through south-east Russia and Japan to south-east Asia, the Indonesian Archipelago, the Philippines and west Micronesia. It also moves to southern India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago outside the breeding season. It is a small bittern with a short neck and a fairly long bill. It inhabits freshwater marshes and swamps, and nests on small platforms made from reeds or twigs.

Order

Pelecaniformes

Family

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Breeding range

Palearctic, Indian Ocean, Oriental Region: Oman, Inner Is. (ne Seychelles), Pakistan and Sri Lanka through se Russia and Japan s to se Asia, Indonesian Arch., Philippines to w Micronesia

Nonbreeding range

To s India, Andaman and Nicobar is. and Bismarck Arch.