Great Blue Heron vs Stripe-backed Bittern

Ardea herodias comparé à Ixobrychus involucris

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Great Blue Heron Stripe-backed Bittern
Nom scientifique Ardea herodias Ixobrychus involucris
Ordre Pelecaniformes Pelecaniformes
Famille Ardeidae Ardeidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 117,0 cm (46.1 in)
Envergure 183,0 cm (72.0 in) 23,1 cm (9.1 in)
Poids 2400,0 g (84.66 oz) 87,58333333333333 g (3.09 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless … --
Taille de la couvée 2-7 2-5
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Great Blue Heron 117,0 cm
Stripe-backed Bittern
Envergure
Great Blue Heron 183,0 cm
Stripe-backed Bittern 23,1 cm
Poids
Great Blue Heron 2400,0 g
Stripe-backed Bittern 87,58333333333333 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Great Blue Heron only

Aucun(e)

Stripe-backed Bittern only

Aucun(e)

Great Blue Heron

Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.

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Song & Call Comparison

Great Blue Heron

Chant

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.

Stripe-backed Bittern

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Geographic Range & Migration

Great Blue Heron

North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.

Stripe-backed Bittern

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

Least Concern

Stripe-backed Bittern

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How to Tell Them Apart

Great Blue Heron

Plumage

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.

Bec

Long, dagger-like yellowish bill

Stripe-backed Bittern

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About These Birds

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.

Stripe-backed Bittern

The Stripe-backed Bittern (Ixobrychus involucris) is a small, secretive member of the family Ardeidae found in South America. It is one of the least frequently observed bitterns in its range owing to its cryptic plumage, secretive habits, and preference for dense wetland vegetation. Adults are pale buff to yellowish on the underparts with dark brownish streaking, and show distinctive dark stripes down the back between white or buff stripes — the pattern responsible for the common name. The upperparts are …

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