Botaurus pinnatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The pinnated bittern (Botaurus pinnatus), also known as the South American bittern, is a large member of the heron family (Ardeidae) found in the New World tropics. Like the other Botaurus bitterns, its plumage is mostly buffy-brown and cryptically patterned. Though it is a widespread species, it is rarely seen – presumably due to its skulking habits – and much about its life history remains little known.
The pinnated bittern is a large heron, measuring between 25–30 in (64–76 cm) with a weight that ranges from 554 to 1,157 g (1.2 to 2.6 lb); males typically weigh considerably more than females. Sexes are similarly plumaged, but females tend to be smaller than males and have brown instead of black on the tail.
Both adults and immature birds are generally buffy, though heavily marked with cryptic patterning. Juveniles tend to have a somewhat more reddish ground color. The throat is unmarked white, the foreneck is white broadly streaked with pale brown, and the rest of the neck is buff with thin black barring. The breast and belly are white with broad pale brown streaks, while the back is buff, heavily streaked and barred with black. Rectrices are black in males and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 3 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guayaquil | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pinnated Bittern sighting in Caroni Swamp on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 117th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pinnated Bittern in Caroni Swamp on a given day, against under 5% in June, October and December–April, the lowest months. That is one of Caroni Swamp's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 25 mm in February.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pinnated Bittern sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Pinnated Bittern sightings, Caroni Swamp ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 10%).
Same family: Ardeidae
The closest relatives of the Pinnated Bittern that you can see in Caroni Swamp (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Little Blue Heron (about 90%), Great Egret (about 80%) and Snowy Egret (about 80%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pinnated Bittern is recorded against all the birds logged in Caroni Swamp (21 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.
