Sunbittern

The sole member of its entire family and the closest living relative to the Kagu

Brent Moore

The Sunbittern is a bittern-like bird native to tropical America. It is the only member of the Eurypygidae family. It has three subspecies and is distributed throughout Central and South America. The Sunbittern and the Kagu of New Caledonia have morphological and molecular similarities, indicating a Gondwanan origin, with both species belonging to the Eurypygiformes group.

The Sunbittern gets its name from its wing patterns, which include an orange-chestnut shield placed in an orange-buff circle that resembles the setting sun. The remaining bird’s plumage is barred, striped, and mottled in black, white, brown, grey, and olive colors. The long legs are a vibrant orange color. The bill is long and thin, as is the neck. Sunbitterns blend in with their surroundings when their wings and tails are folded.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Bolivia
2019
Brazil
2019
Colombia
2019
Costa Rica
2019
Ecuador
2019
French Guiana
2019
Guatemala
2019
Guyana
2019
Honduras
2019
Mexico
2019
Nicaragua
2019
Panama
2019
Peru
2019
Suriname
2019
Venezuela
2019

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No