A very rare bird indeed.......

This is a juvenile Australasian Bittern.
Bitterns are extremely cryptic and rarely seen. This is due to their secretive behaviour, inconspicuous plumage and the inaccessibility of their habitat. Their presence is most commonly discerned through hearing the distinctive ‘booming’ call of the males during the breeding season. Bittern occasionally show themselves in the open along wetland edges, dykes, drains, flooded paddocks or roadsides, often adopting their infamous ‘freeze’ stance, with the bill pointing skyward, even when caught out in the open.
The New Zealand population is thought to be fewer than 900 individuals.

I was fascinated to meet this very rare bird this morning. It is under weight, but eating well now.