| American Bittern Identification Tips |
| (Credit: U. S. Geological Survey) |
| General
Information - 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). |
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