_Food habits._--The Chinese Least Bittern feeds on animal foods
obtained along waterways, marshes and beaches as well as in
forests and fields. The NAMRU2 party observed several types of
insects in the stomachs of birds taken at Guam. Seale (1901:27)
found black crickets in stomachs of bitterns taken at Guam.
Coultas (field notes) learned from the natives of the Palau
Islands that the bittern feeds on land mollusks.
_Parasites._--Wharton (1946:174) obtained the chigger (Acarina),
_Trombicula acuscutellaris_, from the Chinese Least Bittern at
Guam.
_Remarks._--The Chinese Least Bittern has been regarded by many workers
as consisting of several geographic races; as many as eight have been
recognized. Other workers have concluded that _I. sinensis_ is made up
of highly variable populations and that it lacks well-fined geographic
variation. Hartert (1920:1260), Hachisuka (1932:365), and Mayr
(1945a:285) have reached the latter conclusion. As yet this problem has
not been satisfactorily solved; a thorough study is needed, but may not
be possible until additional material, especially from the continental
areas, can be obtained. In coloration there appears to be little
difference between birds from the various localities in Micronesia.
These birds may average slightly paler than populations from the
continental areas, but on this basis I doubt that a person could
recognize the Micronesian birds in a group of skins from many other
localities. Birds in fresh plumage may show geographic differences
better than slightly worn specimens. Measurements made by the author
offer no clear-cut differences either.
_I. sinensis_ was first recorded in Micronesia by Quoy and Gaimard
(1824:536), whose ship, the "Uranie," stopped at Guam. They called the
bird "Petit Héron aux ailes noires." Most of the ornithological
collectors in the years following Quoy and Gaimard obtained this bittern
in Micronesia. At Guam, its abundance and the ease with which it may be
approached and shot is attested by the large series obtained by
collectors: Seale (1901:27) took eight birds; Marche (Oustalet,
1896:36) took eighteen skins; the NAMRU2 party took twenty-nine skins.
The Chinese Least Bittern is found in habitats associated with both salt
water and fresh water, as well as in upland habitat in Micronesia. The
bird appears to be well adapted to areas of open forest and coconut
groves. Coultas (field notes) found the birds in taro patches in the
Palaus. Although a considerable amount of field observing was done in
the southern Palaus, the NAMRU2 party saw only one bird (September 13,
1945, at Peleliu). Perhaps the birds prefer Babelthuap and other large
islands farther north in the chain. McElroy found bitterns in taro
patches at Truk in December, 1945. The NAMRU2 party did not find any
birds at Rota in October and November, 1945. Downs (1946:91) found the
birds in upland sugar cane and beach habitats on Tinian.
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