Description:

A very small bittern with medium-length bill, dark cap, pale wing-coverts and black flight feathers. Male has black crown and mantle/ scapulars, and buff neck. Female has brown mantle/scapulars, with brownish-buff streaking on fore-neck. Juvenile has warm buff upperparts streaked with dark brown, and brown streaking on underparts.

Distribution:

Uncommon passage migrant through the western parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Occurs around freshwater or brackish marshes, lakes, pools and rivers with surrounding cultivation, reed-beds or vegetation. Found up to 2800m.

Behavior:

Mainly active around dawn and dusk, but also feeds during day. Feeds alone, either by standing motionless or walking slowly partially hidden amidst vegetation; defends feeding territory. Feed principally on fish, also insectivorous, taking aquatic insects and their larvae, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, etc. Also feeds on worms, spiders, molluscs, crustaceans and small vertebrates.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Little Bittern in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Little Bittern

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.