Species:

Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)

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Length (cm):
70-80
64-78
Wingspan (cm):
125-135
150-165
Weight (gram):
867-1940
1033-2272
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Bigger than a crow
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Bulky, golden-brown heron with thick neck and short legs. Largely unmistakable but skulky behaviour makes it difficult to observe, as it generally forages hidden in reed-beds. Plumage mottled above, with coarse stripes below. Primaries and most secondaries with dark barring, in contrast to paler coverts. May recall Eagle Owl in flight with broad, rounded wings and retracted neck, but wings are bowed and legs trail behind tail. Crown and moustache stripe black in adult and brown in immature birds. Betrays its presence by it's far reaching song.

Sound:

Flight call a deep croaking "graat". Song unmistakable and far reaching (up to 5 km). Pitch very deep, with timbre similar to blowing on a big empty bottle. At close range an "inbreath" is also audible (1-3 dampened, higher pitched introductory notes).

Song (note; recording not audible on small mobile devices):

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See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:littlew, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Adults: Black back and pinkish legs. Large white windows at tips of primaries, and broad white trailing edge of wing. A very heavy gull with a heavy bill and broad wings. Juveniles with pale head, boldly spotted back and heavier bill than Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull.

Sound:

Can be identified from the low pitch alone. Clearly deeper than Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull.

Call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Jarek Matusiak, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Heron-like
Silhouette
Gull-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file