Eurasian bittern

The Eurasian bittern, or great bittern, is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily of the heron family Ardeidae. Its northern subspecies breeds across parts of Europe and the Palearctic and on the northern coast of Africa, while its southern subspecies is endemic to parts of southern Africa. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open because it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water, though its presence becomes apparent in spring when the male's booming call can be heard during the breeding season. It feeds on fish, small mammals, fledgling birds, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects.