Cinnamon Bittern

Byatarayana Doddi Kere, Karnataka

An absolutely stunning bittern, found mostly near water bodies filled with hyacinth plants or hanging on reeds beside ponds or lakes, often in search of fish. The unique feature of this bird is its cinnamon-colored body feathers, which can be identified from afar. Its eye pattern is peculiar, and like other bitterns, it stares directly at any object. For the first time in my life, I saw this bittern in Ambika Kalna, West Bengal. Since then, I have seen it a few more times but was unable to capture it for various reasons. However, my search was not over. Recently, I found it in Byatarayana Doddi Kere in Karnataka. I was so happy to see this bird, which was not very shy and gave me enough time to capture it.