American bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
Identification Tips:
- 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).