Over 400 species of birds can be found in the Greater Toronto Area, some which are common such as Chickadees and some that are very rare such as Least Bitterns.

The Least Bittern (Ixobrychus) is the smallest heron species in North America reaching no more than 14 inches in height. These birds have long legs and a sharp bill to help them hunt while wading in wetlands. Their light brown feathers offer camouflage to blend into their surroundings making them an expert ambush predator. 

Least bitterns are a species at risk and considered threatened in Ontario with less than 1,500 breeding pairs left in Canada. Their main threats is the loss of suitable wetland habitats.  Least Bitterns live in freshwater marshes that contain interspersed open water and dense vegetation containing tall emergent species, such as cattails and bulrushes, and shrub species, such as willows. Their ideal habitat does not experience significant fluctuations in water levels, which is hard to find in urban areas due to increased runoff from developed lands.

These birds are highly elusive making them hard to study. With funding from Birds Canada, Ontario Streams has been working to improve records of Least Bittern breeding activity by conducting surveys in historical and current suitable breeding habitat in York Region. With support from Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust and volunteers from the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and York Field Naturalists, we have conducted monitoring surveys and updated wetland community descriptions to better understand the habitat needs for breeding and foraging activities. Understanding their habitat needs will help us guide future restoration efforts to protect and maintain the least bitterns’ preferred habitat.

To learn more about Least Bitterns, check out this video! Click link to Least Bittern video here.