Introduction
Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and freshwater wetlands provide rich and diverse habitats for thousands of species of both fauna and flora. Numerous birds make their homes here as in these ecosystems they find habitat that provides abundant food sources and good shelter from predators. Wetlands are found in many parts of the world and across climate zones although many are threatened with drainage for development and through pollution from industry, farm fertilisers and pesticides which contaminate the water.
Yellow Bittern
The yellow bittern is a common resident that is at home in reed beds throughout South East Asia, Southern China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. They are a shy bird and difficult to see with their brown and cream streaked plumage and dense reed bed habitat. This female was taken by surprise when approached silently in a canoe on a lake near Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand., This is an interesting photograph of a rapidly moving bird climbing skillfully through reeds achieved through luck rather than good judgement. Several other photographs were obstructed by the reeds and either out of focus or obscuring parts of the bird such as the eye and feet.
Feeding
The yellow bittern feeds on fish, amphibians and insects.
Breeding
They nest in reed beds where they build a platform of reeds. and lay four to six eggs.
Wildfile Special
- When feeling threatened, a bIttern will often freeze with head held vertically and pretend to be a reed.