Despite the wide area of distribution and the fact that the Bittern inhabits riparian rushes or near lakes, that is where people often, the long-nosed wading bird can easily go unnoticed.With two steps, even looking at close range, it is almost impossible to detect.It can be "invisible".And all thanks to its yellow-green plumage that blends with the color of sedges and rushes.And because of the posture assumed by the bird during an emergency: she pulls the body, neck and head at attention, why resembles a bundle of marsh grass.And in windy weather and bittern sways along with the surrounding grass!
But surely heard the voice of many bitterns.At small sizes, this nocturnal wading bird has a booming bass.In the silence of the night it could roar to scare anyone.It used to be that for the publication of such low sounds she plunges its beak into the water and "dudit", as in a barrel, but now found that the feathered expands the esophagus, and the sound is amplified, as it were through the cavity.During this "sweet voice", vaguely similar to the roar of a bull in Ukraine bittern called "water bull" (water ox), and popular superstition attributed to her relationship with the evil spirit.It is believed that the one who heard the eerie cry of the bird, waiting for disaster.
Appearance at Bittern is consistent with her voice.Naturally, it is not like a bull, but she looks the same ugly and catching up horror, like the sounds that it makes a wading bird.In many cultures, it is a symbol of ugliness.Previously, clumsy and bony man named drink.Even more frightening it becomes a feathered, when he sees that his notice: if the owl-pop gun raspushivaet bittern feathers, puts aside half-bent wings, goggles, arches his neck forward.This sudden transformation "beam sedge" in absurd bogey for a few seconds puzzles predator.This delay heron enough to fly clumsily.On occasion, evil bird can still hit your enemy faceted sharp beak.
bittern feeds mainly frogs, aquatic and terrestrial insects.Eat as mice, like fish.This is a very reclusive marsh bird.It arrives in our region in the spring, only this time you can see these birds in pairs.Then you can hear the roar of the male who invites females to mate.If the male is only one female, he fledge with her, and if he gets himself a harem, care for the offspring take over the female.Viet bittern nest on a hummock of dry stalks of sedge or cane.In laying usually 4-5 bluish eggs.Chicks can be said even more ugly than their parents: goggle-eyed, skinny, awkward with big paws, emits a hissing, gurgling and croaking sounds.
Adult Great Bittern, which is found in the vast expanses of forest-steppe, and steppe podtaygi reach a body weight of 900 g This is quite a large wading bird, related to short-legged heron, it has a large head and thick neck.Wings of her long (35 cm.) And wide, and the tail is short.Plumage camouflage, yellow-ocher, with a brown pattern.The bill and legs are too camouflage heron: greenish-yellow or pale green.Even in repose bittern is in the position in which it is difficult to notice: on one leg, hunched ugly, craning his neck, still.
Due to the development of lakes and rivers, drainage of wetlands for economic activity, the number of species is inexorably shrinking.Some of the birds killed while hunting waterfowl because bittern flying awkwardly and often falls under the bullets.Also bitterns nest ruin marsh harriers and ravens.However, the main factor, because of which this wading bird has almost disappeared from our seats, a decline in the area of reeds along the shores of lakes and rivers.These birds have a subspecies - Amur top, living in meadows and marshes of the Amur region.This is the same awkward and scrawny, with wide-set eyes, a bird, only smaller and darker plumage.
