American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

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Brief #

Brown above with a buff neck and underparts striped. The bill is dull yellow-green, darker above and the eyes yellow.

Synonyms #

  • Avetoro lentiginoso (Spanish)
  • Abetouro americano (Galician)

Red List Status #

The American Bittern is unlikely to become extinct in the near future.
Find out more about IUCN's Red List program here

Description #

The crown is chestnut brown with the centers of the feathers being black. The side of the neck has a bluish-black elongated patch which is larger in the male than in the female. The hind neck is olive, and the mantle and scapulars are dark chestnut-brown, barred and speckled with black, some feathers being edged with buff. The back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are similar in color but more finely speckled with black and with grey bases to the feathers. The tail feathers are chestnut brown with speckled edges, and the primaries and secondaries are blackish-brown with buff or chestnut tips. The cheeks are brown with a buff superciliary stripe and a similarly colored mustachial stripe. The chin is creamy-white with a chestnut central stripe, and the feathers of the throat, breast, and upper belly are buff and rust-colored, finely outlined with black, giving a striped effect to the underparts. The eyes are surrounded by yellowish skin, and the iris is pale yellow. The long, robust bill is yellowish-green, the upper mandible being darker than the lower, and the legs and feet are yellowish-green. Juveniles resemble adults, but the sides of their necks are less olive.

Measurements #

Length: 58 - 85 cm
Wingspan: 0.92 - 1.15 m
Weight: 0.37 - 1.072 kg