American Bittern Photos by Bruce Dayton

American Bittern
[Botaurus lentiginosus]

Medium-sized, stocky heron
Thick neck and bill
Colored in brown, tan, and white stripes
Size: 24-33 in
Wingspan: 36 in
Weight: 13-18 ounces
Sexes look alike

Syllables: A-mer-i-can Bit-tern
Pronunciation: E meh rih kEn bI tErn



American Bittern
1-1	AmBt_08x10_008728	8x10 Print	$10.00
1-2	AmBt_11x14_008728	11x14 Print	$25.00
1-3	AmBt_16x20_008728	16x20 Print	$35.00


American Bittern
2-1	AmBt_08x10_008733	8x10 Print	$10.00
2-2	AmBt_11x14_008733	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
3-1	AmBt_08x10_008749	8x10 Print	$10.00
3-1	AmBt_11x14_008749	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
4-1	AmBt_10x08_008726	8x10 Print	$10.00
4-2	AmBt_14x11_008726	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
5-1	AmBt_10x08_008751	8x10 Print	$10.00
5-2	AmBt_14x11_008751	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
6-1	AmBt_08x10_028700	8x10 Print	$10.00
6-2	AmBt_11x14_028700	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
7-1	AmBt_08x10_028744	8x10 Print	$10.00
7-2	AmBt_11x14_028744	11x14 Print	$25.00


American Bittern
8-1	AmBt_08x10_028793	8x10 Print	$10.00
8-2	AmBt_11x14_028793	11x14 Print	$25.00

NOTES

1. Price (See above)

2. Price is for print only. Price does not taxes**.

3. At this time framing is not an option available online.

4. All sales in US dollars.

5. New York State residents must include sales tax**

** Tax will be applied to orders shipped to New York State.

Become a
WildlifeofNorthAmerica.info
correspondent

Help to identify species of birds and animals.

Receive discounts on photos and FREE promotional photos.

The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae .

It is a large, chunky, brown bird, very similar to the Eurasian Great Bittern, Botaurus stellaris. It is 59-70 cm in length, with a 95-115 cm wingspan.

Although common in much of its range, the American bittern is usually 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.

Like other members of the heron family, the American Bittern feeds in marshes and shallow ponds, dining on amphibians, fish, insects and reptiles.

This bittern winters in the southern United States and Central America. It summers throughout Canada and much of the United States. As a long-distance migrant, it has a occurred as a very rare vagrant in Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland.

This bird's numbers have declined in the southern parts of its range due to habitat loss.

Folk names include barrel-maker, bog-bull, bog hen, bog-trotter, butterbump, flying fox, Indian hen, Indian pullet, look-up, marsh hen, mire drum, poke, pond guinea, scoggin, shitepoke, sky-gazer, stake-bird, stake-driver, sun, gazer, thunder pumper, and water-belcher.

Category: Bitterns

American Bittern

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:   Chordata
Class:   Aves
Order:   Ciconiiformes
Family:   Ardeidae
Genus:   Botaurus
Species:  B. lentiginosus

Binomial name
Botaurus lentiginosus

Please email with any ideas or comments concerning this web page.

The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2009 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.