Botaurus stellaris
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Eurasian bittern or great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open as it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water bodies. Its presence is apparent in the spring, when the booming call of the male during the breeding season can be heard. It feeds on fish, small mammals, fledgling birds, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.
The nest is usually built among reeds at the edge of bodies of water. The female incubates the clutch of eggs and feeds the young chicks, which leave the nest when about two weeks old. She continues to care for them until they are fully fledged some six weeks later.
With its specific habitat requirements and the general reduction in wetlands across its range, the population is thought to be in decline globally. However the decline is slow, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern". Nevertheless, some local populations are at risk and the population of the southern race has declined more dramatically and is cause for concern. In the United Kingdom it is one of the most threatened of all bird species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tianjin | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Beijing | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 4 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 5 | Tel Aviv | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 6 | Antalya | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 7 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 8 | Suzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 10 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Yaroslavl Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Zoopark Limpopo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 4 | Grodno Zoo | 🇧🇾 Belarus |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Bittern sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 137th most-seen of the 182 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Bittern in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, July and September–March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Bittern sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Eurasian Bittern sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 20%), Hortobágy National Park (Hungary, about 10%) and Camargue (France, about 10%).
Same family: Ardeidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Bittern that you can see in Białowieża National Park (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Grey Heron (about 20%) and Great Egret (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Bittern is recorded against all the birds logged in Białowieża National Park (33 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
