Great bittern booming accompanied by amphibians | głos Bąka

preview_player
Показать описание
The Eurasian bittern or great bittern (Botaurus stellaris | Bąk in Polish) is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open as it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water bodies. Its presence is apparent in the spring, when the booming call of the male during the breeding season can be heard. It feeds on fish, small mammals, fledgling birds, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.

The nest is usually built among reeds at the edge of bodies of water. The female incubates the clutch of eggs and feeds the young chicks, which leave the nest when about two weeks old. She continues to care for them until they are fully fledged some six weeks later.

With its specific habitat requirements and the general reduction in wetlands across its range, the population is thought to be in decline globally. However the decline is slow, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern".

Usually solitary, the Eurasian bittern forages in reed beds, walking stealthily or remaining still above a body of water where prey may occur. It is a shy bird, and if disturbed, often points its bill directly upwards and freezes in that position, causing its cryptic plumage to blend into the surrounding reeds, an action known as bitterning. While in this position, the shield of elongated feathers on throat and breast droop downwards and hide the neck, so that the outline of the head and body is obscured. Sometimes it resorts to applying powder down produced by patches of specialist down feathers at the side of its breast. This white dusty material seems to help it to rid its head and neck of slime after feeding on eels. It then removes the excess powder by scratching vigorously before applying preen oil from the gland at the base of its tail.

The bird has a secretive nature, keeping largely hidden in the reeds and coarse vegetation. Occasionally, especially in hard winter weather, it stands in the open beside the water's edge, although usually close to cover to facilitate a hasty retreat. In flight, its wings can be seen to be broad and rounded, and its legs trail behind it in typical heron fashion. Its neck is extended when it takes off, but is retracted when it has picked up speed. It seldom flies however, except when feeding young, preferring to move through the vegetation stealthily on foot. Its gait is slow and deliberate and it can clamber over reeds by gripping several at a time with its toes. It is most active at dawn and dusk, but also sometimes forages by day.

The mating call or contact call of the male is a deep, sighing fog-horn or bull-like boom with a quick rise and an only slightly longer fall, easily audible from a distance of five kilometres on a calm night. The call is mainly given between January and April during the mating season. Surveys of Eurasian bitterns are carried out by noting the number of distinct male booms in a given area. Prior to modern science, it was unknown how such a small bird produced a call so low-pitched: common explanations included that the bird made its call into a straw or that it blew directly into the water. It is now known that the sound is produced by expelling air from the oesophagus with the aid of powerful muscles surrounding it.

Recording took place during moon eclipse in the vicinity of Milicz Ponds in Barycz Valley (Stawy Milickie / Sarni Rów / Dolina Baryczy)

Amphibians heard in the recording:
European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina | Kumak Nizinny)
Edible frog (Pelophylax kl. esculentus | Żaba wodna)
Marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus | Żaba Śmieszka)
European tree frog (Hyla arborea | Rzekotka Drzewna)

Field recording gear:
Audio Technica AT4022 pair in SASS array
Sound Devices Mixpre-3 II

#ecoacoustics #fieldrecording #dolinabaryczy
Рекомендации по теме
Комментарии
Автор

Such beautiful bird with sound, Great sharing my friend!

amazingnaturesounds
Автор

Nice video, thanks for your sharing 🙏👍

queensmagicenglish
Автор

Absolutely outstanding!
Your work is simply fantastic!
The quality of your recordings is unreal sometimes and the sound is just unbelievable!
You are one of the best field recording engineers I know.
Thank you again for the upload of a perfect field recording with a lot of great background informations!

nosecondlost
Автор

Absolutely wonderful sharing! Thank you for sharing beautiful content with us! 17 Big like!👍

RelaxationWorldU
Автор

Bosko :) To co się dzieje koło prawego ucha to magia :) Aż mam ciary na łapach! Brawo Kuba!

ORIONFM
Автор

Great work, thank you for sharing this timely content!!!

Metalokorozija
Автор

Odkryłam kanał dzięki ASMR Polska... Ale świetne nagrania!

nietedydroga
Автор

The depth and level of detail in this recording is phenomenal. Great work!! A pleasure to listen to this natural spectacle. Simply amazing. Thanks for sharing

HpBeck_Fieldrecordings
Автор

Good morning 🌄! This is so beautiful. Thank you so much for your wonderful nature sounds 😊. Very peaceful and relaxing. Exactly what the world needs right now and beyond 😌. Mark Bensette Aux Bois 🇨🇦.

DreamscapesMusicCinema
Автор

wow! Awesome, it's a very successful recording! Thank you for sharing.

naturesoundstheunseenvoice
Автор

It's one of the most incredible bird calls in the world. The first time I heard it, I knew exactly what it was - a deep thumping boom that I felt in my chest rather than hearing it.

I'm very lucky to live near one of the few places in the UK where Bitterns can be heard (and occasionally seen!). I keep failing to record them though because whenever I press record, they always stop calling!

Brilliant recording. I am instantly subscribed for more!

AmbientDawn
Автор

Absolutely wonderful sharing! Thank you for sharing 👍👍

deepspacedream
Автор

Wow, that is one strange sounding bird. Not sure what I would think if I actually heard that is the woods. The duet with the frogs is great, with a cuckoo bird as the backup singer. Great capture as always. Wish I would run across something this cool when recording...

SomaNature
join shbcf.ru