Dwarf bittern

The dwarf bittern, a small heron from the Ardeidae family, inhabits a wide range of countries across several continents. These birds can be found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In terms of size, the dwarf bittern closely resembles the little bittern. While it is generally not present in the Western Palearctic region, it has been observed there on rare occasions. Notably, in 2017, two dwarf bitterns were spotted on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, an exceptional occurrence.

Regarding conservation status, the dwarf bittern is currently classified as "Least Concern" indicating that its population is stable and not at immediate risk.