Evidence found
180,028 records across 32 countries and territories, 1840–2026.
Botaurus stellaris · GBIF taxon key 2480910
Where has the Great Bittern been recorded?
Botaurus stellaris occurrence evidence comes from 180,028 records in 32 countries and territories, from 1840 to 2026. Most records come from Sweden.
- 180,028 records
- 32 places
- 125 years recorded
- Aves class
Observation evidence passport
Source coverage
CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.
Refreshed 2026-08-23. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.
What this means
The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: May.
4 months reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.
What this does not mean
repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.
A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: May. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
18402026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where Great Bittern has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for Great Bittern. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 158,402 | |
| Belgium | 20,419 | |
| United Kingdom | 590 | |
| Austria | 215 | |
| Ukraine | 121 | |
| Netherlands | 74 | |
| Germany | 49 | |
| South Korea | 24 | |
| Luxembourg | 24 | |
| Spain | 19 | |
| Russia | 18 | |
| Israel | 9 | |
| Italy | 8 | |
| France | 7 | |
| South Africa | 7 | |
| Finland | 6 | |
| Romania | 6 | |
| Lithuania | 4 | |
| Switzerland | 3 | |
| China | 3 | |
| Denmark | 3 | |
| Hungary | 3 | |
| Iran | 3 | |
| Greece | 2 | |
| Senegal | 2 | |
| Bulgaria | 1 | |
| Egypt | 1 | |
| Gambia | 1 | |
| Jordan | 1 | |
| Japan | 1 | |
| Poland | 1 | |
| Seychelles | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Ardeidae.
Gray
1,198,381 records
Great Egret
354,855 records
Great Blue
56,573 records
Cattle Egret
27,105 records
Black-crowned Night-Heron
20,263 records
Green
13,318 records
Little Blue Heron
10,740 records
Purple Heron
9,539 records
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.