| Species | Bittern - Botaurus stellaris, bird |
| Habitat | REEDBED |
| Background and status | The bittern, a member
of the heron family, lives on marshland with reedbeds and builds its nest
on a platform of reeds just above the water. It is a very secretive bird
and with its low `booming’ call is more often heard than seen. It feeds
on creatures which are available close to the nest, such as fish, aquatic
insects, eels, amphibians and small mammals.
The bittern is a bird of high European conservation concern with declines being recorded across its range. Between 1988 and 1991 only 16 pairs bred in the UK, and none of these were in South West England. |
| Main Threats | The bittern population has suffered mainly due to poor land management - particularly drainage - and pollution, leading to shrinkage and loss of suitable areas of reedbed and lack of food. Further problems are associated with small population size. |
| Conservation and targets |
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