The smallest bittern of the Iberá, with plumage in beige, cream and chestnut tones with longitudinal streaks that camouflage it in the reedbeds. The upperparts are dark chestnut with a cream wing stripe very visible in flight. The neck and breast are whitish with chestnut streaks. The bill is yellow and the legs greenish. It measures 28 to 33 cm. One of the most cryptic herons and hardest to observe well among the dense vegetation.
Behaviour
Mainly crepuscular in habit. It hunts small fish, frogs and aquatic insects from a motionless posture at the water's edge among the reeds. Like the larger bittern, it adopts a "camouflage" posture with its neck stretched vertically when it feels threatened.
How and when to see it
Dawn and dusk. Most easily detected during its short flights between patches of vegetation. The reed-lined channels of Portal Laguna Iberá and Galarza are the best sites.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where stripe-backed bittern has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where stripe-backed bittern lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0 - Reserva Estero Camba Trapo
Private nature reserve of Ecoposada del Estero, on the Camba Trapo road. One of the…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameStripe-backed Bittern
- Scientific nameIxobrychus involucris
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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