Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis occurs from Indian subcontinent to Australasia. Uncommon breeder throughout south China, including Hainan. Also Taiwan. Favors ‘densely forested freshwater streams and pools or other permanent wetlands’ (Martínez & Motis 427). Male (above) is slaty-blue, female browner and paler. Wuyuan (29.181442, 117.733615), Jiangxi, China, elev. 140 m (450 ft.), June. (Craig Brelsford)Black Bittern, Cape Nanhui (30.850531, 121.878047), Shanghai, August. Black Bittern is rarely recorded in Shanghai. Likely overlooked. May breed in remote coastal areas of Shanghai. From a distance may appear black. (Craig Brelsford)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MacKinnon, John. Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press, 2022.
Martínez, A. & A. Motis. Family Ardeidae (Herons). P. 427 in: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot, and J. Sargatal, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1. Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, 1992.
