My friend Chris called and said she was watching the Matuku-hūrepo | Australasian bittern nearby so I rushed down to join her. My first time seeing this extremely rare and cryptic bird. 🐦
Status: Native, Nationally Critical
Bitterns are extremely cryptic and rarely seen.
@odd It is able to fly. One problem is it’s a wetland bird and around Aotearoa New Zealand wetlands were drained for building, farming etc. Another, of course, is the introduced predators such as cats, rats, stoats etc.
@Miraz I love this. I’ve not seen a bittern yet, but have spotted rails a few times, which are marsh birds who are similarly inclined to hide. Best day ever: spotting a rail chick walking along a road (next to marsh grass, of course). It looked like something Dr. Seuss would have drawn. Its toes were almost as long as its body!
