Ixobrychus minutus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CICONIIFORMES	ARDEIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ixobrychus minutus

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Little Bittern
French	–	Blongios nain

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Netherlands; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Swaziland; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Barbados; Cape Verde; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Gibraltar; Iceland; Ireland; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Mongolia; New Zealand; Norway; Sao Tomé and Principe; Sweden; United Kingdom
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Netherlands; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Swaziland; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Barbados; Cape Verde; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Gibraltar; Iceland; Ireland; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Mongolia; New Zealand; Norway; Sao Tomé and Principe; Sweden; United Kingdom

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Palearctic populations of this species undergo extensive post-breeding dispersal movements in all directions and are also fully migratory, travelling southward on a broad front¹ between August and October and returning to the north from March to April². Other populations (e.g. in the tropics) are resident but may make partial migratory movements connected with fluctuations in water-level¹. In the western Palearctic and India the species breeds mainly between May and July, breeding from October to January in Australia, June to February in South Africa, or in relation to the rains in tropical Africa¹. It breeds singly or occasionally in small loose groups in favourable areas¹ (e.g. 2-3 nests were spaced 50 m apart at the same pond, Africa)³. When not breeding the species may be found singly, in pairs (Africa)³, in small flocks of 5-15 individuals⁵ (e.g. on migration)¹, or roosting in groups of 30 individuals (Africa)³. In most areas it is mainly a crepuscular feeder^{1, 2} although it may be diurnal in some regions (e.g. South Africa)². Habitat The species is most common in freshwater marshes with beds of bulrushes Typha spp., reeds Phragmites spp.⁴ or other dense aquatic vegetation, preferably also with deciduous bushes and trees¹ such as willow Salix spp. or alder Alnus spp.^{1, 2}. It may also occupy the margins of lakes, pools and reservoirs¹, wooded and marshy banks of streams and rivers², desert oases, peat bogs¹, wooded swamps, wet grasslands, rice-fields¹, rank vegetation around sewage ponds⁴, and in places mangroves, the margins of saline lagoons¹ and saltmarshes². Diet Its diet varies with region and season¹ but it is essentially insectivorous and takes aquatic adult and larval insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars¹ and beetles². Other food items include spiders, molluscs, crustaceans¹ (e.g. shrimp and crayfish)², fish, frogs, tadpoles, small reptiles and birds¹. Breeding site The nest is constructed from reeds and twigs¹ and is normally placed near open poolsin thick emergent vegetation² (such as beds of bulrushes Typha spp. or reeds Phragmites spp.)⁴ close to the surface of the water or up to 60 cm above it⁵. Alternatively nests may be placed in low bushes or trees (e.g. alder Alnus spp. or willow Salix spp.) up to 2 m above water^{1, 2}. Preferred nesting sites are usually 5-15 m out from the shore in water 20-30 cm deep⁵. The species usually nests singly but may nest in loose colonies in favourable habitats with neighbouring nests as close as 5 m apart (solitary nests are usually 30-100 m apart)². Nests are often reused in consecutive years².
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Palearctic populations of this species undergo extensive post-breeding dispersal movements in all directions and are also fully migratory, travelling southward on a broad front¹ between August and October and returning to the north from March to April². Other populations (e.g. in the tropics) are resident but may make partial migratory movements connected with fluctuations in water-level¹. In the western Palearctic and India the species breeds mainly between May and July, breeding from October to January in Australia, June to February in South Africa, or in relation to the rains in tropical Africa¹. It breeds singly or occasionally in small loose groups in favourable areas¹ (e.g. 2-3 nests were spaced 50 m apart at the same pond, Africa)³. When not breeding the species may be found singly, in pairs (Africa)³, in small flocks of 5-15 individuals⁵ (e.g. on migration)¹, or roosting in groups of 30 individuals (Africa)³. In most areas it is mainly a crepuscular feeder^{1, 2} although it may be diurnal in some regions (e.g. South Africa)². Habitat The species is most common in freshwater marshes with beds of bulrushes Typha spp., reeds Phragmites spp.⁴ or other dense aquatic vegetation, preferably also with deciduous bushes and trees¹ such as willow Salix spp. or alder Alnus spp.^{1, 2}. It may also occupy the margins of lakes, pools and reservoirs¹, wooded and marshy banks of streams and rivers², desert oases, peat bogs¹, wooded swamps, wet grasslands, rice-fields¹, rank vegetation around sewage ponds⁴, and in places mangroves, the margins of saline lagoons¹ and saltmarshes². Diet Its diet varies with region and season¹ but it is essentially insectivorous and takes aquatic adult and larval insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars¹ and beetles². Other food items include spiders, molluscs, crustaceans¹ (e.g. shrimp and crayfish)², fish, frogs, tadpoles, small reptiles and birds¹. Breeding site The nest is constructed from reeds and twigs¹ and is normally placed near open poolsin thick emergent vegetation² (such as beds of bulrushes Typha spp. or reeds Phragmites spp.)⁴ close to the surface of the water or up to 60 cm above it⁵. Alternatively nests may be placed in low bushes or trees (e.g. alder Alnus spp. or willow Salix spp.) up to 2 m above water^{1, 2}. Preferred nesting sites are usually 5-15 m out from the shore in water 20-30 cm deep⁵. The species usually nests singly but may nest in loose colonies in favourable habitats with neighbouring nests as close as 5 m apart (solitary nests are usually 30-100 m apart)². Nests are often reused in consecutive years².

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is threatened by habitat degradation and loss⁶ through direct destruction, pollution¹ and hydrological changes (e.g. in rivers)². The species also suffers mortality as a result of drought and desertification on African staging and wintering grounds (degrades wetland habitats needed by the species)⁶.

Major Threat(s):

The species is threatened by habitat degradation and loss⁶ through direct destruction, pollution¹ and hydrological changes (e.g. in rivers)². The species also suffers mortality as a result of drought and desertification on African staging and wintering grounds (degrades wetland habitats needed by the species)⁶.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Ixobrychus minutus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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