American Bittern
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Botaurus
Species: lentiginosus
**American Bittern Audio Below**
Description
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Length: 28"
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Wing span: 42"
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Weight: 1.5 lb (725 grams)
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Medium sized heron
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Stocky, thick neck and bill
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Brown, tan and white blury stripes all over body
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Sexes look alike
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Juvenile is very similar to adult
Factoids:
- A stocky and well-camouflaged heron of dense reed beds, the American Bittern is difficult to see. Its far-carrying booming call is distinctive, but the bittern itself likes to keep under cover
- Very secreative species that hides easily by crouching low to the ground with it's neck pulled inward
All photographs and audio clips are ©Jamie Mullin 2006
Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology & The Sibley Guide to Birds.
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