Media release: New tool in the shed to help protect Australasian Bittern

30 Jun 2022

Celebrated for its shadowy existence and a deep booming call, the Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) has unfortunately become one of the world’s most endangered waterbirds.

However a new guide has been released by Riverina Local Land Services to help farmers and land managers better understand how they can support this iconic species, said Local Land Services Senior Land Services Officer, Anna Wilson.

“For thousands of years, Indigenous Australians regularly heard the booming sound and made a connection to the mythical bunyip, a terrifying creature lurking in swamps,” Ms Wilson said.

“Today Australasian Bitterns have declined dramatically and are now listed nationally and globally as endangered – around 1300 individuals are estimated to be left in the wild.

“However by managing the water and vegetation in key bittern wetlands, we can better accommodate them and help increase the Riverina’s population, ensuring bitterns have suitable habitat year-round.”

The guide shines a light on this cryptic species, outlining its habitat needs, diet, breeding cycles, movements and how farmers can manage to support these requirements.

People can visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/bitterns to request a copy.

The guide forms part of the Boosting the Bunyip Bird Yield project, which is supported by Riverina Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Riverina ricegrowers Rino and Lawrence Sartor are working with Local Land Services to help support the Australasian Bittern.

"It’s great to hear the boom of the Australasian bittern and know that we are helping to save this bird by providing suitable conditions in our rice crops."

Key partners in the project include Murray Wildlife; the NSW Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Environment, Environment and Science Group and Crown Lands; Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia; Rice Extension; SunRice; NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service; and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

The content also draws on prior work through the Bitterns in Rice Project and from Matt Herring’s PhD research at Charles Darwin University with Professors Kerstin Zander and Stephen Garnett.

More information is available at www.lls.nsw.gov.au/bitterns