Cinnamon Bittern

The cinnamon bittern, or chestnut bittern, is a small bittern, 38–41cm long with a wingspan of about 49.5cm and a weight of 89.5–164g, with a short neck and a longish bill. The male is uniformly cinnamon above and buff below; the female is similar but has a brown back and crown, and juveniles are like females but heavily streaked brown below. When surprised or anxious it takes the typical bittern pose, neck stretched upright and bill pointing skyward, and freezes so that it almost vanishes among the reeds (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in reedbeds, nesting on platforms of reeds in shrubs, and lays two to six eggs, which hatch after about 23 days; the timing of breeding varies from place to place. It is a skulking bird that is hard to see, but it tends to emerge at dusk, creeping almost cat-like in search of frogs and insects. It is mainly resident, though some northern birds migrate short distances. SoIB 2023 lists it as resident in India with local movements, estimates a long-term decline of about 54% with a stable current trend, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).