Top 5 Species of Bittern Found in India

Bitterns are birds from the heron family and very much similar by appearance to herons and egrets.
Even Bittern birds found in same marshy areas and feed on amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish where herons and egrets also found.

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)

Little bittern is a migratory bird coming to India in winter. The little bittern is one of the 5 species of bitterns found in India.

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

Black Bittern is a large species of bitterns found in the Indian sub-continent and found in the dense forest. This forest bittern breeds in tropical Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Australia.

Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)

Cinnamon Bittern or Chestnut bittern is one of the most beautiful bittern of India and has an extremely large range throughout Indian sub-continent to Asia.

Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)

Yellow Bittern is a small species of bittern found in India, similar to little bittern and has yellow green legs. Yellow bitterns breeding in the northern Indian Subcontinent and feed on a variety of insects and fish.

Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)

Eurasian Bittern also known as Great Bittern is a medium sized wading bird from the heron family and a very secretive bird, like other species of bitterns.
Some populations of Eurasian Bittern migrate to warmer region in winter like the Indian sub-continent and northern Asia. Pic Credit – https://x.com/indian_pitta