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American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosusOrder: CICONIIFORMESFamily: Bitterns, Herons and Egrets (Ardeidae)
American Bittern Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Dagger
  • Eye Color: Yellow, sometimes turning orange-yellow during courtship.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline
  • Crown Color: Dark Brown
  • Forehead Color: Dark Brown
  • Nape Color: Dark Brown
  • Throat Color: White
  • Cere color: No Data
American Bittern Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 58 cm (23 in)
  • Weight: 726 g (25.6 oz)
  • Size: Size 4. Large (16 - 32 in)
  • Color: White, Brown, Buff
  • Underparts: Streaked brown and white.
  • Upperparts: Streaked brown and buff.
  • Back Pattern: Mottled
  • Belly Pattern: Striped or streaked
  • Breast Pattern: Striped or streaked
American Bittern Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Strong direct flight with deep rapid wing beats.
  • Wingspan Range: 107-127 cm (42-50 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Squared Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Streaked
  • Upper Tail: Brown
  • Under Tail: Brown
  • Leg Color: Bright yellow to green.
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Family Bittern (Ardeidae)_blue
Species Botaurus lentiginosus
Length23 Inches
Wingspan43.5 Inches

American Bittern

American Bittern: Medium, secretive, heron-like wading bird with stout body and neck, and relatively short legs. Upperparts are streaked brown and buff and underparts are white with brown streaks. Throat is white with black slashes on sides of neck. Strong direct flight with deep rapid wing beats.

● Song: "oong-KA-chunk", "kok-kok-kok"

● Foraging & Feeding: American Bittern: Feeds on insects, amphibians, crayfish, and small fish and mammals. When foraging, it relies on stealth while waiting motionlessly for prey to pass by, at which time it darts forward to seize the prey in its bill.

● Breeding & nesting: American Bittern: Usually considered monogamous, but sometimes exhibits polygamy. Female chooses nest site and builds the nest, usually in dense emergent vegetation over water. Nest is constructed of reeds, sedges, cattails, and other vegetation. Two to seven pale brown or olive buff eggs are laid and incubated for 24 to 28 days by the female.

● Similar species: American Bittern: Least Bittern is much smaller with pale wing coverts. Juvenile night herons have white spots or streaks on upperparts, lack black neck slashes, have thicker bills, and lack black primaries and secondaries.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight with deep rapid wing beats.
American Bittern Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: American Bittern: Breeds from southeastern Alaska, Manitoba, and Newfoundland south to California, New Mexico, Arkansas, and the Carolinas. Spends winters from coastal British Columbia, Illinois, and along the Atlantic coast to Long Island, and south to Costa Rica (rarely) and Greater Antilles. Preferred habitats include freshwater wetlands with tall emergent vegetation.
BreedingSolitary nester, May be polygamous
PopulationFairly common, Declining in the South
MigrationMigratory
Weight25.6 Ounces