Little Bittern

(Ixobrychus minutus)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 1 500 – 4 500 pairs

Distribution pattern

With a wide and relatively dense distribution along the Danube River and in the Danubian Plain, the Thracian Plain, along the Black Sea Coast and in some plains in Western Bulgaria, in some places in Dobrudzha and in the valleys of the rivers Arda, Struma and Mesta.

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds mainly in water fringe vegetation in bogs and marshes and in standing fresh waters (including micro-dams, quarry lakes, fishponds, drainage canals, etc.). Breeds in marsh wetlands and in large public parks like the South Park in Sofia, in canals and riverbeds within settlements – Kardzhali, Burgas and others.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Not analysed

Threats

Not analysed