English: Little Bittern, Australian Bittern, New Zealand Little Bittern
Russian: Малая выпь
German: Zwergdommel
French: Blongios nain
Mongolian: Бичил одойбух
Japanese:ヒメヨシゴイ(Hime-yoshigoi)

Body length: 33-38 cm
Wing span: 49-58 cm

Status: Rare Species. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and criteria, the species evaluated as – Near Threatened.

Distribution and Range in Mongolia: Breeds in Khar-Us, Khar, Khyrgas, Airag lake, Khovd river. On Migration passage the species occur at the Uvs lake, Tes river basin, Khalkh, Degee, Nomrog, Azarga, Galdastai rivers and the Buir, Khonkhor, and Tashgain Tavan Nuur lakesvalleys. Singular migrants were recorded in Udleg of Batsumber in Tov Aimag, some oases and steppes.

Habitat: Breeds in extensive or small reedbeds, overgrown reedy ponds, ditches. Summer visitor; winters in Africa. Rare vagrant in Britain & Ireland. Food fish, frogs, insects. Nest a platform of reeds often raised above water-level in reedbeds or bushes.  

Identification: Very small heron; smaller than a Moorhen. Secretive, but not infrequently comes to feed at edges reedbeds etc; often retreats by climbing and running like a crake rather than flying. In flight, quick jerky wingbeats distinctive, and creamy wing patches unmistakable on adults, less clear-cut on juveniles.

• Adult ♂:    Crown upperparts black; wing patch buff-white, neat, contrasting.
• Adult ♀: Black parts of ♂ are brown; wing patch buff-brown, unstreaked but less contrasting.
• Juvenile: like dull ♀ with streaked neck, upperparts and wing patch.

Population and threats: There is no detailed information on population. Threats: increase in livestock numbers, dessiccation of water sources and wetlands due to global warming, aridification and pastureland degradation lead to loss of habitat; additional threats: increased water pollution impacted by the Dorgon and Taishir Hydroelectric power stations; loss of food due to net fishing in large lakes; Avain flu; predation by wolves, dogs and raccoons.

Conservation Measures: Included as Rare animal in the Annex to the Mongolian Government Resolution #7 (2012). The nesting and migration path areas like lakes Khar-Us, Airag and Buir included in the Ramsar Convention and partially covered by NSPAN.

Further actions: Improve the conservation management for birds nesting within the NSPAN, conduct monitoring projects on a regional scale, study the species reproductive biology, migration path, threats, and raise awareness.