American bittern

American bittern

American bittern is a secretive, medium, heron like wading bird with a stout body, neck And short legs. It has a streaked brown upperparts and white with brown underparts. The throat of this bird is white with black slashes on the side of the neck. It does a direct flight with the bottomless rapid wing beats.It is the breed form southeastern Alaska, Newfoundland south to California and the Carolinas. Is spends winter form coastal British Columbia and along coast to Long Island. It prefers the habitat of fresh water along the tall emergent vegetation.

Interesting facts

The American Bittern has an amazing, though rarely seen, courtship appearance. The male arches his back, short neck, dips his breast forward, and "booms" at the female. Both birds hold in complicated aerial displays.They prefer to freeze, not flush like other herons when approached. If an observer is nearby, they will often widen their neck up, bill pointed towards the sky, and swing from side to side as if imitating beckon reeds.