Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Alberto Madroño, Adolfo Gustavo and Alejandro González and are used with their permission.
LEAST BITTERN Ixobrychus exilis
A small bittern, this species is heard far more often than he is seen. He inhabits dense reedbeds where he clambers up the stems with agility, but spot him and he will immediately adopt the "bitterning posture", pointing his head skyward and moving slowly side to side so that he blends in with the reeds moving in the wind!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE118PH) Adult, Bajo Chaco (Alejandro González December 2006 - Paraguayanbirds.com).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE119PH) Subadult male found dead, Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alberto Madroño/Fundación Moises Bertoni October 1996).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE120PH) Adult dark phase "Cory´s Bittern", Asunción, Departamento Central (Adolfo Gustavo March 2010).
The specimen in (FPAVE120PH) is an example of the extremely rare "Cory´s Bittern" phase of this species. This is the first record of this colour phase in Paraguay and only the second record in South America. This record is described in detail in a publication by Clay R and Smith P in press.
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