Dwarf bittern
| Dwarf bittern | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Genus: | Ixobrychus |
| Species: | I. sturmii |
| Binomial name | |
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Ixobrychus sturmii (Wagler, 1827) |
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| Range of the dwarf bittern. Yellow: breeding, green: year-round | |
The dwarf bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) is a small species of heron in the family Ardeidae, native to tropical and sub-tropical Africa.
This is a member of the Ixobrychus genus that contains many of the smallest herons in the world. Going on reported length, from 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in), this is perhaps the smallest species of heron. The weight is similar to other Ixobrychus species, reportedly from 60 to 150 g (2.1 to 5.3 oz), averaging 75–110 g (2.6–3.9 oz). The wingspan reportedly averages 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20 in). The male has a dark slate grey head and neck, with elongated head and neck feathers. The bill is dark overall, being black to dark green on top and yellow on the lower bill. The lores and orbital skin are blue to yellow green and the irises are red brown to dark red. The back, upper wings and other upper parts are dark slate grey. Its throat and upper breast are pale buff, darkening to tawny on the abdomen, heavily streaked black. The legs and feet are green yellow in front and yellow in back. In courtship legs and feet turn bright orange. The female is paler, with a more rufous tinge on its belly and yellow irises. The immature bird is a more buff and pale version than the adult. It is distinguished from the black bittern of Asia by its striped belly, dark neck tufts, shorter, darker bill and much smaller size. It is distinguished from the green and striated herons by its smaller size and slow flight, its pale and heavily streaked underparts, and its uniform (not barred) upper parts.
The dwarf bittern occurs year-round in much of tropical and sub-tropical Africa, with the most southern habitats only visited during the breeding season. It has been reported from Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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Wikipedia