Bitterns, Herons & Egrets
Eurasian Bittern
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually but can be seen in small groups.
Bulky, golden-brown heron with thick neck and short legs. Largely unmistakable but skulky behaviour makes it difficult to observe, as it generally forages hidden in reed-beds. Plumage mottled above, with coarse stripes below. Primaries and most secondaries with dark barring, in contrast to paler coverts. May recall Eagle Owl in flight with broad, rounded wings and retracted neck, but wings are bowed and legs trail behind tail. Crown and moustache stripe black in adult and brown in immature birds. Betrays its presence by it's far reaching song.
Diet
Fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates along the reed margins in shallow water.
Longevity record
11 years (Found dead in the Netherlands, 302703)
Usually seen in
March - April, October - November
Occasionally seen in
May, September, December
Click on the image to open slideshow
Dark brown moustache stripe as in adults.
Dark brown moustache stripe as in adults.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
69 - 81
100 - 130
870 - 1940
Little Bittern
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually but can be seen in small groups.
Usually recognizable by size alone. Distinctly smaller than any congener. Pale wing-panel formed by inner coverts is striking in all plumages, especially in flight. Male with contrasting black and white/buff plumage. Female with dark, but pale fringed back and streaked throat. Immature with streaked, bittern-like plumage, and wing-panel is brown-spotted. Skulky behaviour, and most active at dusk or after dark. Mostly seen in flight when crossing open water. Flight action rapid and clipping, and landing is preceded by short glide.
Diet
The Little Bittern is a bird of dense marsh vegetation, in which it feeds and nests. It forages in the typical bittern manner of walking and Swtanding on marsh plants, old nests, or branches. It catches a diversity of prey, but primarily fish or insects, depending on the locality.
Longevity record
7 years (Found injured in Hungary, 426796)
Russett tas-Siġar / Strinġis /Ħenxul
Ixobrychus minutus
Pelecaniformes
Ardeidai
Scarce
Usually seen in
April - May, August - October
Occasionally seen in
November - January, March, June
Click on the image to open slideshow
Brown face and neck, brown streaked back and buff brown patch in wings.
Vertical stripes along neck and breast as in females rather than streaks as in juveniles or no stripes but an orange buff in males.
Grey face and darker black crown. Stripes on chest are paler along an orange buff as in adult males. White buff on wings.
Brown face and neck, brown streaked back and buff brown patch in wings.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
33 - 38
49 - 58
59 - 150
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Black-crowned Night Heron
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in groups and larger flocks but can occasionally be seen individually.
Small, crepuscular, stocky heron with short legs. Adults unmistakable with black cap, black back, grey wings and white underparts. Immature less distinct, and may be confused with immature Squacco Heron, Little Bittern or Bittern. Differs from all these in distinct white spots covering both wings and back. Belly and breast are more widely covered in coarse streaking, not just the sides or upper chest. Legs just barely protrudes behind tail in flight.
Diet
Diet quite variable; mostly fish, but also squid, crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, snakes, clams, mussels, rodents, carrion. Sometimes specializes on eggs and young birds and can cause problems in tern colonies.
Longevity record
17 years (A shot bird in Spain, SE 19959)
Kwakka
Nycticorax nycticorax
Pelecaniformes
Ardeidai
Fairly common
Usually seen in
March - May, August - September
Occasionally seen in
October - January
Click on the image to open slideshow
Brown body with pale spots on back and upperwings. Chest paler with darker brown streaks. Orange iris. No plumes.
Black crown, back saddle and upper mandible. Silvery grey body and wings. Red iris. White plumes.
Brown body with pale spots on back and upperwings. Chest paler with darker brown streaks. Orange iris. No plumes.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
58 - 65
90 - 100
727 - 1014
Squacco Heron
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in groups but can also be seen individually.
In non-breeding plumage, it is dull brown with dark and light streaks. At rest, it has buff and brown upperparts and white underparts. When in flight, the white wings and tail are conspicuous. Head, nape and shoulders are streaked black. The bill is dark with yellow lower mandible. The eyes are yellow with greenish-yellow lores and narrow red eyering. Legs and feet are greenish-yellow.
In breeding plumage, feathers are very long. The body is white with cinnamon back, nape and breast sides.The underparts are slightly washed cinnamon, especially on chest. We can see some black streaks on breast sides. Wings and tail are white.On the head, chin and throat are white, whereas crown, head sides and neck are cinnamon. During the breeding period, the adults develop an erectile black and white crest with long and bushy feathers. The bill is bright cobalt-blue with black tip. Lores are bright greenish-blue. Eyes are yellow. Legs and feet are brighter orange-yellow to reddish with black claws.
The female is similar, but in breeding plumage, she has less conspicuous crest than male.
The juvenile has paler buff ground colour and is browner on head and back with dark streaks on throat and breast. Upperwing-coverts and primary tips are spotted brownish. The crest is shorter than in adults in non-breeding plumage. Bill, legs and feet are greenish-yellow.
Diet
The Squacco heron feeds on fish, crustaceans, frogs and aquatic insects.
Longevity record
5 years (A shot bird in Hungary, 844)
Usually seen in
March - April, October - November
Occasionally seen in
May, September, December
Click on the image to open slideshow
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
40 - 49
71 - 86
230 - 370
Grey Heron
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in groups or larger flocks but can also be seen individually.
Very large, mostly unmistakable bird. Grey upperparts, white underparts and yellow/yellowish bill. Keeps neck retracted when flying (as opposed to crane). May be mistaken for Purple Heron, but back of neck grey, not brown. Bill heavy and dagger-shaped. Neck thicker and less angular than in Purple Heron. Unmarked cheeks.
Diet
Lots of fish, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles and amphibians. After harvesting, grey herons can sometimes be seen in fields, looking for rodents.
Longevity record
37 years (Found dead in Denmark, 292796)
Usually seen in
March - April, September - October
Occasionally seen in
all other months
Click on the image to open slideshow
White crown, long plumes, white neck and a complete yellow bill.
Darker upper mandible, grey crown and grey hindneck indicating an immature.
White crown, long plumes, white neck and a complete yellow bill.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (kg):
84 - 102
155 - 175
1.0 - 2.1
Purple Heron
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in groups or larger flocks but can also be seen individually.
Most similar to Grey Heron but leaves a much darker impression, has a slimmer body, neck and wings. The bill is markedly thinner and is almost level with the flat forehead. Adult birds have black longitudinal stripes along the rufous sides of the neck, and a black crown. Immature birds have more diffuse streaking, and are sandy brown instead of grey. Coverts are also brownish, and partially remains in first summer birds. In flight the dark underwings of adult birds are obvious. The folded neck creates a bigger and more angular bulge and the very long toes are often sprawled. More secretive behaviour than Grey Heron.
Diet
Fish, frogs, invertebrates, reptiles, small rodents and small birds.
Longevity record
25 years (Found dead in Germany, B 1495)
Russett Aħmar
Ardea purpurea
Pelecaniformes
Ardeidai
Fairly common
Usually seen in
March - April, September - October
Occasionally seen in
February, May, August, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
Two black head plumes up to 15 cm long. The sides of the head and neck are distinctively chestnut to orange buff to red buff. A black stripe runs across the ear to the black plumes. The chin and foreneck are white and a throat striping is elongated with black and white spotting.
Two black head plumes up to 15 cm long. The sides of the head and neck are distinctively chestnut to orange buff to red buff. A black stripe runs across the ear to the black plumes. The chin and foreneck are white and a throat striping is elongated with black and white spotting.
Juveniles are browner than adults, lacking crest and breast feathers, and showing duller and narrow steaks in neck and underparts.
Two black head plumes up to 15 cm long. The sides of the head and neck are distinctively chestnut to orange buff to red buff. A black stripe runs across the ear to the black plumes. The chin and foreneck are white and a throat striping is elongated with black and white spotting.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
70 - 90
120 - 138
500 - 1361
Great Egret
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in small groups but can also be seen individually.
Formerly known as the Great White Egret. A slender and elegant bird, about the same size as Grey Heron. Bill dark in breeding birds, otherwise yellow. Legs and feet dark, but tibia often with red tinge in breeding season. Long, S-shaped neck with sharp angle/bend. Erect posture, and less skulking, horizontal hunting behaviour than Little Egret. Almost twice the size of Little Egret, and wing-beats are considerably slower. Wings give the impression of being attached more upfront than in Little Egret. Feets protrude well beyond tail in flight.
Diet
Fish are a dietary staple, but great egrets use similar techniques to eat amphibians, reptiles, mice, and other small animals.
Longevity record
13 years, 9 months (Found dead electrocuted in Hungary, 516353)
Usually seen in
March - April, October
Occasionally seen in
all other months except June
Click on the image to open slideshow
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
85 - 102
143 - 169
700 - 1530
Western Cattle Egret
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually but can also be seen in small groups.
Small, stocky, white heron with short bill and neck. Heavy jowl. Plumage all white, except in breeding birds which show varying amount of buff on back, crown and chest. Bill usually yellow, but turns orange-red in breeding birds, and is dark in immatures. Legs pale greyish green, but darker in young birds. May be confused with both Little Egret and Squacco Heron in flight. Differs from Little Egret in leg color and shorter, thicker neck and bill. Told from Squacco Heron by unstreaked body/head, and smaller bill. Generally leaves a less elegant impression than other small herons.
Diet
Mostly insects. When associating with grazing animals in fields, diet is mostly large insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, flies; also frogs, spiders, moths. Elsewhere may feed on crayfish, earthworms, snakes, nestling birds, eggs, sometimes fish. May scavenge for edible refuse in dumps.
Longevity record
18 years (A shot bird in Spain, E 10374)
Usually seen in
October - December
Occasionally seen in
April- May, all other months for resident birds
Click on the image to open slideshow
Yellow bill. The breast plumes, crest and back mantle plumes will also get yellow during breeding. Juveniles are completely white with dark legs and bill.
Note yellow bill and yellow buff breast moulting to a breeding plumage. The breast plumes, crest and back mantle plumes will also get yellow during breeding. Juveniles are completely white with dark legs and bill.
Yellow bill. The breast plumes, crest and back mantle plumes will also get yellow during breeding. Juveniles are completely white with dark legs and bill.
Yellow bill. The breast plumes, crest and back mantle plumes will also get yellow during breeding. Juveniles are completely white with dark legs and bill.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
45 - 52
82 - 95
270 - 512
Little Egret
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in groups or flocks but can also be seen individually.
Differs from other white herons by dark legs with contrasting yellow feet and toes. Bill always dark, and lores grey or reddish (breeding birds). Slender and elegant build, as opposed to Western Cattle Egret. Only roughly half the size of Western Great Egret. In flight, note much quicker wing-beats of Little Egret and that the wings of Great White seems to be positioned more at the front of the body. Skulking, foraging behaviour with less erect posture than Great White, also when moving about. Legs less protruding beyond tail in flight than in Western Great Egret.
Diet
Little egrets hunt alone within loose flocks. They will use a variety of hunting techniques including stirring up the mud with their feet to disturb small aquatic insects. These birds will also eat crustaceans, small fish, amphibians, molluscs and worms. They will even take small birds.
Longevity record
22 years (A shot bird in France, CD 2346)
Usually seen in
March - May, August - October
Occasionally seen in
June, November - December, all other months for resident birds
Click on the image to open slideshow
Note crown plumes, breast plumes and lax back plumes which form during the breeding cycle. During the height of the courtship the lores may turn bluish.
Note crown plumes, breast plumes and lax back plumes which form during the breeding cycle. During the height of the courtship the lores may turn bluish.
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
55 - 65
88 - 106
350 - 550
*Some information was sourced from ''BirdID Nord University'' & ''Collins Bird Guide 2nd edition''.