Black Bittern

Scientific Name: Ixobrychus 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.

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Jun 2022, Jul 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Mar 2023, Apr 2023

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Black Bittern at SBTB. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Male Black Bittern at SBG. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Male Black Bittern at Tuas South. Photo Credit: See Toh Yew Wai
Black Bittern at SBTB. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Black Bittern at SBTB. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Black Bittern at SBTB. Photo credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

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

Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Black Bittern. Retrieved on June 1, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/black-bittern.