Scientific Name: Botaurus flavicollis
Malay Name: Gelam Hitam
Chinese Name: 黑鳽
Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China, Southeast Asia and northern Australia with some northern population wintering in Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: flavicollis, australis, woodfordi.
Local Subspecies: flavicollis
Size: 54-61 cm
Identification: Male has black upperparts, whitish throat, whitish breast with dense dark streaks, and yellow neck-patch. Female resembles male but has darker brown upperparts and more rufescent breast-streaks. Juvenile resemble female but feathers of the crown and upperside have narrow rufous fringes, giving a scaly appearance.
Habitat: Marshes, reedbeds in ponds, and mangroves.
Behaviour/Ecology: Often secretive, hiding in reeds for long periods of time.
Local Status: Uncommon migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Singapore Botanic Gardens, Satay by the Bay, Chinese Gardens, Bidadari, Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Ubin, Tuas South and Sungei Buloh.
- Bird List Revision for January 2020 (Revisions)
Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Jun 2022, Jul 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Mar 2023, Apr 2023, May 2023, Nov 2023, Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, May 2024
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Black Bittern)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Ixobrychus flavicollis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697334A93608997.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Black Bittern. Retrieved on December 5, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/black-bittern.