Botaurus lentiginosus

Description

This bird is brown overall with a brown and white striped neck (that it can extend very far) and a long, thin, yellow bill. American bitterns have long, wading legs and you can see dark outer wing feathers when they fly.

Voice

The American bitterns song is deep and sounds like "bloonk adoonk." When it flies, it says "kok kok kok."

Breeding

April to July

Habitat

These wading birds live in the tall grasses and reeds of marshes. Their coloration makes it easy for them to hide. In other words, American bitterns are well camouflaged.

Diet

American bitterns eat fish and other animals they find in the water.

Range

You can find American bitterns in Canada and the northern United States in the summer months and in the southern United States in the winter months. They live on the western coast of the United States year-round.

Other Useful Information

American bitterns are almost always alone.

Similar Species

Immature black-crowned and immature yellow-crowned (not found in VT or NH) night herons look a little like the American bittern. However, immature night herons do not have bold stripes on their necks and have heavier bills and spotted wings.