American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus

Identification Tips:

• Length: 23 inches Wingspan: 45 inches
• Medium-sized wading bird
• Dark brown upperparts
• Underparts streaked brown and white
• Black malar streak
• Yellow bill with dark culmen
• Black primaries and secondaries
• Sometimes "freezes" with neck held upwards
• Immatures similar to adults but lack the malar streak

Similar species:

Least Bittern is much smaller with buff wing coverts. Immature Night-Herons have white spotting or streaking on the upperparts, lack the black malar streak, have thicker bills, and lack the black primaries and secondaries (a useful field mark in flight).

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.