Australasian Bittern vs Great Blue Heron
Botaurus poiciloptilus compared with Ardea herodias
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Australasian Bittern | Great Blue Heron |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Botaurus poiciloptilus | Ardea herodias |
| Order | Pelecaniformes | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae | Ardeidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 117.0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 64.1 cm (25.2 in) | 183.0 cm (72.0 in) |
| Weight | 1166.5 g (41.15 oz) | 2400.0 g (84.66 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 2-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Great Blue Heron
Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.
Song & Call Comparison
Australasian Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Deep, harsh, croaking 'frahnk-frahnk' call in flight. Also gives low guttural grunts at the nest. Alarmed birds give repeated croaks. Mostly silent for such a large wader.
Geographic Range & Migration
Australasian Bittern
Great Blue Heron
North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.
Conservation Status
Australasian Bittern
Great Blue Heron
How to Tell Them Apart
Australasian Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Blue-grey body with a white head bearing a broad black stripe extending to a long black plume. Rufous-brown thighs. In flight, the neck is folded into an S-shape.
Long, dagger-like yellowish bill
About These Birds
Australasian Bittern
The Australasian Bittern is a Vulnerable large heron found in freshwater wetlands and reed beds across Australia and New Zealand. Weighing about 1,166.5g with a wingspan of 64.1cm, it is a cryptically streaked brown bird that freezes motionless with its bill pointed skyward when threatened. It feeds on fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates at night.
Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable speed. They nest in large colonies called heronries, often returning to the same site year after year.