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WetlandPlatform nestLarge · 706 g
What the American Bittern sounds like
ID tip
The American bittern is a large, chunky, brown bird, very similar to the Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris), though slightly smaller, and the plumage is speckled rather than being barred. It is 58–85 cm (23–33 in) in length, with a 92–115 cm (36–45 in) wingspan and a body mass of 370–1,072 g (0.816–2.363 lb). The crown is chestnut brown with the centers of the feathers being black. The side of the neck has a bluish-black elongated patch which is larger in the male than in the female.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the American Bittern
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.
Where to see the American Bittern
The map shades 16 countries with regular records, and 5 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Iceland, Martinique.
About the American Bittern
The American bittern is a species of wading bird in the heron family. It has a Nearctic distribution, breeding in Canada and the northern and central parts of the United States, and wintering in the U.S. Gulf Coast states, all of Florida into the Everglades, the Caribbean islands and parts of Central America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisBitterns are thickset herons with bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars.
Pinnated BitternBotaurus pinnatusThe pinnated bittern is a large heron, measuring between 25–30 in (64–76 cm) with a weight that ranges from 554 to 1,157 g (1.2 to 2.6 lb); males typically weigh considerably more than females.
Australasian BitternBotaurus poiciloptilusThe Australasian bittern, or Matuku-hūrepo in Māori, is a stocky, sizeable and elusive heron-like bird native to the wetlands of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.
Side by side: American Bittern vs Eurasian Bittern · American Bittern vs Pinnated Bittern
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