American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), a Special Concern species in Wisconsin, is a medium-sized wading bird with a stout body and long neck and bill. It has brown plumage on the back and is streaked with brown and white stripes on the chest and throat. The plumage does not change seasonally. Most distinctive is an elongated, black patch extending from below the eye down the side of the neck. The species can be found in shallow marshes, meadows, and wetlands of many sizes but prefers large open marshes and meadows. During the breeding season, it nests in areas with thick, emergent vegetation like cattails, sedges, reed, and bulrushes. One to five buff-brown to olive-brown eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 24-28 days. This species is threatened by the degradation and destruction of wetlands from drainage, filling, and conversion to agriculture. The recommended avoidance period for this species is May 1 - July 15.
