American Bittern Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  American Bitterns are medium-sized herons with thick, compact bodies. They have shorter legs and thicker necks than typical herons and a slightly hunched posture. The daggerlike bill is long, straight, and sharply pointed. The wings are broad but the wingtips are somewhat pointed.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Green Heron; Smaller than a Great Blue Heron.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 23.6-33.5 in (60-85 cm)
    • Weight: 13.1-17.6 oz (370-500 g)
    • Wingspan: 36.2 in (92 cm)

  © Tim Lenz / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  American Bitterns are mostly warm brown, buff, and white. They are strongly streaked, especially on the neck, and they can be very hard to see against marsh vegetation. In flight the dark outer wings contrast sharply with the brown of the rest of the bird.

• Behavior

  Bitterns are stealth predators and typically stand motionless as they wait for prey to approach, or stalk it with barely perceptible motions. They adopt a classic pose when alarmed, with the beak pointing straight up, helping this streaky bird blend in with its reedy background. They tend to forage alone.
• Habitat

  Look for American Bitterns in shallow freshwater marshes, typically toward the margins and among reeds and other vegetation; they are rarely out in the open.