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American Bittern
(Botaurus lentiginosus)

© Jim Williams

Although common in much of its range, the American Bittern is frequently well-hidden in bogs, marshes and wet meadows. Usually solitary, it walks stealthily among cattails or bulrushes. If it senses that it has been seen, the American Bittern becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dusk. More often heard than seen, this bittern has a call that resembles a congested pump.

Appearance: A two-foot tall brown and tan striped wading bird. Difficult to see standing among marsh plants, but the long bill and black neck mark are decisive. When flying, the outer wing is grayish black, contrasting with the grayish brown inner wing.

Vocalization: The song is a loud, booming "oog-ka-chuk."

Habitat: Breeds in freshwater wetlands with tall, emergent vegetation. Non-breeding habitats are similar, but can also include brackish wetlands and uplands (especially for foraging). The American Bittern uses stealth and its cryptic coloration to avoid detection by prey.

Range: Breeding area covers most of the Canadian provinces and the northern half of the contiguous United States. In Minnesota, the Agassiz NWR Important Bird Area is crucial breeding habitat for this bird. Winters along most of the Pacific and Atlantic (from New Jersey south) coasts of the United States, south to Cuba and throughout most of Mexico to Central America.

Feeding: Forages in tall vegetation near edges and shorelines, consuming insects, amphibians, small fish and mammals, and crayfish.

Reproduction: The nest is constructed in dense vegetation over water and composed of a platform of reeds, sedges, or cattails, and a lining of fine grasses. The range for clutch size is 2-7 eggs, although 3-5 is most typical.

Rate of Decline: 87 percent decline in Minnesota in 40 years

Conservation Issues & Efforts:

• Threats: American Bitterns are affected by the loss of large wetland areas; incursions by invasive plants such as phragmites and purple loosestrife; a decline in amphibian populations that provide food; and diminished wetland water quality.
• Outlook: The American Bittern is a bellwether for the health and future of wetlands throughout its range. Stabilizing its decline will depend upon improved wetland conservation.

What Can You Do:

• Protect the Boreal Forest
  Promote conservation of the Canadian boreal forest by supporting the Boreal Songbird Initiative that works to save Canadian boreal habitat for birds by fighting inappropriate logging, mining, and drilling, and by promoting the designation of protected areas.
• Preserve Farmlands
  Promote strong conservation provisions in the federal farm bill, especially the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays farmers to keep marginal farmlands idle and supports millions of acres of good bird habitat. Contact your county’s office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or Farm Service Agency (FSA) to find out how to increase the number of acres devoted to helping birds dependent on farmlands.
• Conserve Wetlands
  Support wetlands conservation programs such as the Clean Water Act, North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), and Farm Bill conservation programs such as the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and “swampbuster” (the rule that restricts wetlands from being converted to agriculture). Encourage governments at all levels to enact and enforce wetlands protection and water quality laws and regulations.
• Buy a Federal Duck Stamp
  Federal Duck Stamps are a vital tool for wetland conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the sales of Federal Duck Stamps goes directly to purchase or lease wetland habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated and is a highly effective way to conserve America’s natural resources.

Gibbs, J.P., S. Melvin, and F.A. Reid (1992). American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences and Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists’ Union.

Kaufman, Kenn. Guía de campo a las aves de Norteamérica. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.

Additional information on the American Bittern.