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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pinnated Bittern sighting in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 163rd most-seen of the 263 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.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Pinnated Bittern in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June–August and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Lago de Yojoa's wettest months, with about 320 mm of rain against 65 mm in April.
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.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Pinnated Bittern sightings, Lago de Yojoa has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Caroni Swamp (Trinidad and Tobago, under 5%) and Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, under 5%).
Same family: Ardeidae
The closest relatives of the Pinnated Bittern that you can see in Lago de Yojoa (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Great Egret (about 60%), Little Blue Heron (about 40%) and Great Blue Heron (about 40%), 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 Lago de Yojoa (58 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.
