A male bittern nicknamed “Bushy” has become the first of his species in WA to be fitted with a solar-powered transmitter, meaning he’s now providing valuable information about his movements and wetland use to DBCA scientists and BirdLife Australia. Australasian Bitterns, which are endangered in WA, are rare and extremely difficult to observe so their habits and movements within and between wetlands are very poorly known. Information on Bushy’s movement will give researchers a previously impossib

American Bittern… aka "thunder-pumper", "stake-driver", "mire-drum". Though not often seen, their sounds are commonly heard in the Refuge marshes this time of year. These secretive marshbirds frequent shorelines and vegetation edges that are dominated by tall emergent wetland plants. Their calls - loud, low, resonant, pumping sounds - are used to communicate within the thick vegetation, apparently to defend territory and find mates. This individual was both heard and seen (through a spotting sco

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus In this video we see the sharp-eyed bittern stealthily stalking along the water’s edge and sneaking around a clump of tall grass in search of prey. We are rewarded by finally seeing it capture a rather large crayfish, Cambarus ssp., which it downs in a couple of gulps. Male bitterns are known for their loud booming calls that reverberate around the marshes of their northern breeding and nesting grounds in the spring, where they are more likely to be heard t