How many Leasts, Littles, Lessers, Dwarfs, somethings bird names are there? Plus Fairy, which probably meant the same thing? I am not aware of a Tiny. Several
of the opposite too; Greats, Greaters, Giants, I don’t think we will ever get a fully accurate and appealing set of names, with so fe new words and so many birds.
From: Canberrabirds [
On Behalf Of Geoffrey Dabb via Canberrabirds
Sent: Tuesday, 4 November, 2025 10:22 AM
To: Canberrabirds
Subject: [Canberrabirds] FW: Maybe we should call it Tiny Bittern :)
Maybe, Shorty, but that is not a comparative label, and an American relative has claimed the title ‘Least Bittern’. Cornell Lab Birds of the World gives our chap as 59-120g, which is from HANZAB 1990 which
gives mean of that sample as 83.9g (all Sept-Mar). Pretty old information- It seems bittern-weighing has fallen from fashion, with so many other attractions for young people these days.. Cornell’s mean for male Least Bittern is 78.2g. I haven’t checked
other species in group. All pretty small birds though. That Australasian Grebe paddling past the ALB is 100-230g. It would lose the stretched-length competition, though.
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of shorty via Canberrabirds
Sent: Friday, 24 October 2025 6:11 PM
To: Canberra birds <>
Subject: [Canberrabirds] Maybe we should call it Tiny Bittern :)
Catching plenty of Dragonflies this afternoon.
