Length: 13 inches | Wingspan: 18 inches | Seasonality: Summer / Migrant |
ID Keys: Dark back and tail, white underparts with buffy streaks, buff head and neck, black crown. |
A shy, secretive bird of dense weedy marshes and sloughs, and
one of the smallest of the world's herons. Rather than wading like most of the
herons, the Least Bittern uses its long toes to clamber around emergent wetland
vegetation, just above the water's surface. The Least Bittern is one of
multiple similar species to "freeze" when startled, raising its head
and swaying back and forth in an attempt to blend in with the swaying marsh
vegetation.
2) Audubon Guide - Least Bittern
3) Whatbird.com: Least Bittern
Click on the map below for a higher-resolution view |
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South Dakota Status: Uncommon summer breeding resident and migrant in the east. Rare in the west. |