Least Bittern

One of the world’s smallest herons and the smallest member of the family Ardeidae found in America, Least Bitterns are frustratingly difficult to spot in the marshy wetlands but the sight of these tiny birds smartly clad in chestnut, black, and buff can be equally rewarding for any bird enthusiast.

About Least Bitterns

These foraging birds choose their suitable habitats, which are marshes and wetlands with very dense vegetation across the regions of southern Canada and northern Argentina, and make their well-weaved concealed nests made up of cattail and other marsh greens. Even though there has been a decline in the number of Least Bitterns because of habitat loss caused by drainage and development of the marshes and wetlands, these tiny but very resilient birds have successfully maintained their population and are in a category of “Least Concern”.

These birds are fairly common and are more often heard than seen as they make a range of cooing sounds in the early mornings and at the time of dusk. While hunting down fish, frogs, crabs, and insects. Least Bitterns often prefer to escape on foot rather than taking a flight.

Least Bitterns are the common prey for a lot of animals including raccoons, bullfrogs, snakes, snapping turtles, crows, and raptors but they can easily hide in their surroundings by stretching and swaying their necks to resemble the marsh reeds, which make them difficult to spot for the predators.

Don’t these tiny but resilient birds make you want to know more about them? Let’s learn about them in detail.

● Least Bittern Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Least Bittern Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Least Bittern Range and Migration, Nesting

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Least Bittern Color Pattern

Least Bitterns are characterized by their usual chestnut, black, and buff color scheme. Adult males are usually more colorful than adult females as colors and patterns are a factor in attracting females to these birds.

With a blackish above and a pale underbelly, the males have two white stripes across the back. Females and younglings are more uniformly brown; often dark and rusty with a chestnut overall. In the late summers and autumns, the juveniles can be spotted with neatly edged buff and rufous feathers, creating a scaly appearance.

Another variety of Least Bitterns that was considered a whole different species called, Cory’s Least Bittern discovered in Florida in 1885 had black bills, dark black back, chestnut cheeks, belly, and under-wings. Frequent around the great lakes of Toronto in the late 1880s, this mysterious bird was only recorded 7-8 times across the globe since 1973.

Description and Identification

Being very small and good at camouflaging in the marsh vegetation, the Least Bitterns can be difficult to spot. These birds live mostly in freshwater and brackish marshes with tall stands of cattail and other vegetation. The significant features of these tiny herons are the long legs, dagger-like bills, and a long neck that they often keep drawn back giving off a hunched appearance. The size of these birds can be interpreted as somewhere between a Robin and a Crow.

These birds are pretty well identifiable as it’s nearly impossible to confuse them with similar species including American Bittern, Green Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron as the Least Bitterns have very specifically unique features and color patterns.

Least Bitterns can be spotted hunting by standing still and focusing on the water. But sometimes, these marvelous creatures can be seen taking a more acrobatic position to hunt, clutching a bunch of reeds, and hanging a few inches above the water level. The agitated birds may raise the neck feather to appear larger than the actual size. Usually preferring to escape on feet by the daytime, these birds take flights between the roosting and foraging sites in the early mornings and late evenings.

Least Bittern Song

Least Bitterns make a variety of sounds to indicate various different things. In the spring, the male subtly sings his coo-coo-coo song to attract females and mark territories.

Among other calls, the males produce a unique gak-gak call and the receptive female makes a ticking sound which serves as a call of acceptance of proposal between the mates. Cackles, clucks, hisses, and shrieks are probably used as calls of threats and alarms against predators and potential dangers. Nocturnal migrants sometimes give a high-pitch bark whereas, these birds sometimes make rattling noises with their bills.

Least Bittern Size

Almost between a Robin and a Crow, one of the world’s smallest Herons. Least Bitterns range from 11-14.2 inches length-wise and can weigh up to 1.6-3.4 grams. The wingspan of these birds is approximately around 16.1-18.1 inches.

Even though these birds are tiny and measure around 2.25 inches in breadth. They can compress their bodies to extraordinary degrees of around 1.5 inches because it helps them walk through the reeds.

Least Bittern Behavior

Least Bitterns are stalking and foraging birds. They hunt alone and quietly; standing still in deep waters waiting to catch their prey. These birds move very slowly and deliberately while walking and climbing but can run fast and compress their bodies to move through reeds. Least Bitterns evidently look similar to herons; pointy at the edges while flying, can dive quickly into the marshy vegetation only to disappear, and have very quick reflexes when it comes to catching their prey.

Resting birds often preen or scratch with bills or legs and stretch out their long necks. Threat displays of this bird include hissing, the opening of the bill, and tilting wings forward. When scared or disturbed by humans, Least Bitterns point their bill upwards and their eyes at the source of alarm which gently swaying their long slender necks to resemble the long reeds and grass blowing in the wind.

The male birds preen the back and neck of the female birds before copulating. These birds are usually monogamous; at least for one particular breeding season and attract partners by singing and showing colorful feathers.

What do Least Bitterns Eat?

Least Bitterns are a type of Heron and they live in freshwater and brackish marshy wetlands; thus naturally these birds have a primary diet of small fishes such as perches, sunfishes, and minnows. Along with fish these birds also hunt for frogs, crustaceans, insects, small snakes, salamander, slugs, crayfish, shrews, mice, dragonflies, leeches, tadpoles, and snails. Occasionally they hung eggs or younglings of Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

These birds often shake or soften larger catches in their bills before consuming them and often remove the hard exoskeleton of crustaceans like crabs and crayfish and shells of snails before ingesting the meaty parts.

Least Bittern Habitat

Least Bitterns rarely breed in coastal and inland wetlands. When you do find them here though, it is for the purpose of hunting and foraging. These birds usually choose marshes with patches of vegetation and open waters as breeding grounds. Freshwater and brackish wetlands with dense vegetation of tall grasses like cattail preferably interspersed with water and small woody vegetation are the most suitable for nesting.

Some birds may forage in the saltwater marshes like mangrove marshes but usually avoid nesting there. Least Bitterns also use artificial wetlands for breeding in winters, such as golf course ponds and sewage systems.

Range and Migration

Least Bitterns forage in saltwater marshes and swamps in summer. But these little Herons migrate to saltwater, brackish and freshwater wetlands in the southernmost coastal areas of their U.S. range, which includes southern Texas and Florida in the winters as well as Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Least Bitterns are medium to long-distance migrants. The breeding ranges of these birds include North America, Central America, West Indies, and north, west, and east South America. Whereas, the nonbreeding ranges may include the U.S. gulf coast (Louisiana, Texas, Florida), Southern California, Mexico, Central America, Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles.

The northern population migrates from the areas where the frost prevails. These birds migrate southwards in October. Western birds migrate through western Mexico to Costa Rica and the eastern birds migrate through the western coast of the Mexican Gulf to the West Indies reaching Northern Colombia. The return migrations take place in the end of February or early April while the post-breeding dispersal occurs in the North including Iceland, Barbados, Azores, and British Colombia.

Least Bittern Lifecycle

Least Bitterns are mostly monogamous; at least for the breeding season. Males build the nests and females watch them. These nests are platform nests made up of well woven and concealed vegetations like cattail, reeds, and sedges. The female lays eggs of the clutch size of 2-7 eggs that are approximately 1.2-1.3 inches in length at a rate of one egg per day. These eggs are usually pale green or blue in color. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs for 17-20 days and after the hatching, both take turns to feed the younglings as well.

The nestling period for the chicks is 1-2 weeks. The chicks have a rusty brown back with whitish under the belly and they are able to sit and hold their heads up for brief periods after hatching.

The brood number for Least Bitterns is usually one per breeding season but a second brood may occur occasionally too.

Nesting

Observations of the species reveal that the male bird selects a suitable site for the nest to be built which is usually 6-30 inches above the water where it is around 3-38 inches deep. The nests are rarely more than 10 yards from the edge of the reed beds.

Usually, the male bird builds the nest and the female occasionally sits and watches. The male uses vegetation like reeds, cattails, and sedges to build the nest and sometimes even uses the material from old nests of the last breeding season. The materials from the nest of other birds like, Marsh Wren are also used. These birds weave their nests in a well-enclosed manner and the reeds are weaved to be protruding out of the nest like spikes. When completed, the unlined nest measures about 6-8 inches across and 2-5 inches deep. The male occasionally repairs the nest when the female incubates the eggs. Least Bittern pairs might nest very near to each other, almost like a colony.

Anatomy of a Least Bittern

Least Bitterns are tiny Herons with long slender necks and long legs. The long neck is mostly kept pulled back, which gives the bird a hunched appearance. The feet of the bird have curled toes with sharp nails for a good grip on the reeds. These birds have a long bill to facilitate catching their prey. Both the sexes have similar features with very less significant differences and measure and weigh almost the same. The color of the back is blackish with a solid hue pattern and the underbelly is white to chestnut brown depending on the age of the bird. The male birds have white stripes on the edge of the wings and the females have a pale brown crown. Juveniles have a more similar color scheme to that of the females with pale buffy coverts and very light underwings and bellies with a paler and browner crown.

Adult male Least Bitterns have a small patch of unfeathered skin in the loral area (between the bill and the eye) which changes color drastically. The usual yellowish color can flush to a brilliant cherry red in the time of courtship, copulation, and territorial conflict giving the bird an appearance of blushing or of rage.

Final Thoughts

Life can be difficult for a tiny Heron that measures up to a few inches and is losing its habitat rapidly because of causes brought in by human beings. But the Least Bittern survives anyway because of its cryptic coloring and camouflaging skills. That shows how resilient and adaptive these small birds are. Thus, making them the coolest and the most interesting bird to know about.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Least Bittern

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Least Bittern are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Least Bittern Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Least Bittern. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For Least Bittern

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses For Least Bittern

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.