Bitterns are members of a large family of wading birds that includes 65 species of egrets, night-herons, typical herons, tiger-herons, and bitterns. Famous for the ability to blend in, when threatened the bittern stands perfectly still in the reeds with its beak pointing straight up.

These smaller hunters feed on small fish, frogs, and invertebrates. More active at dawn and dusk, bitterns hunt quietly among the reedbeds and undergrowth.

Although most species are recovering, the destruction of wetlands and the use of pesticides puts them at risk.