First breeding record and an update on the presence of Botaurus pinnatus in Paraguay

Abstract

Despite being widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, little is known of the reproductive biology of the Pinnated Bittern Botaurus pinnatus. We present the first breeding record for Paraguay. Between 12 and 17 December 2001, sporadic observations were made of a nest found at Isla Ybycu’i, Itapúa Department, Paraguay. The nest consisted of a platform of grasses, located in a grassland dominated by Paspalum sp. It contained three olive–grey eggs. A chick, covered in greyish–buff down, was born on 17 December. We compare our observations with the limited data available from the region, and provide new details regarding the presence of the species in the country.