- Ixobrychus exilis
Identification
Photographed: Lacolle, Qc, Canada Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) Five subspecies recognised: nominate in North America, pullus (darker above) on the Sonora and Sinaloa coast of Mexico, bogotensis (richly-coloured underparts and blacker legs) in central Colombia, erythromelas (more rufous above) over most of South American range and peruvianus (duller) on the coast of Peru.
Distribution
North and South America. Breeds in much of the eastern and southern USA and extreme south-east Canada. Scarce and local in the west breeding from southern Oregon to California. Breeds widely through Mexico and Central America and in South America from Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and the Guianas to southern Brazil and Uruguay. Also occurs in a narrow coastal belt of Peru. Northern birds are migratory and winter in the southern USA, Mexico and the West Indies. Recorded as a vagrant once in Iceland ( on Heimaey in the Westmann Islands in September 1970) and 5 times in the Azores, all September-November, and also an unconfirmed report from Britain.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Marshy areas with dense vegetation, sometimes brackish waters.
