American Bittern
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a genus within the family of heron wading birds. It has a presence in the Nearctic, breeding in the United States in Canada and in the northern and southern areas, and wintering in the United States. The Gulf Coast covers Florida areas into the Everglades, the Bahamas coasts and Central American territories. It is a well-camouflaged, solitary brown species that unobtrusively inhabits marshes and scattered vegetation at the edge of the lakes and wetlands. During the breeding season, the male’s loud, roaring call often becomes evident. The nest is built just above the grass, usually between bulrushes and cattails, where for about four weeks, the female clutches the olive-colored eggs. The juveniles abandon the nest within two weeks and flee entirely at six or seven weeks. The American bittern primarily feeds on fish, but also eats other small vertebrates, crustaceans, and insects. It is relatively common across its large range, but its numbers are thought to be declining due to habitat loss, particularly in the south. However, the total population is high, and the International Union for Nature Conservation has ranked its environmental status as "the last concern. “The American bitterness is a large, chunky, brown species, somewhat like Eurasian bittern but much smaller, except that instead of barred, the plumage is sprinkled. It is 58–85 cm long, 92–115cm wingspan, and 370–1.072 g body mass.