Least BitternLeast Bittern -- South Dakota Birds
| 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. | ||
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
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.
Habitat: Freshwater marshes and sloughs with dense emergent wetland vegetation.
Diet: Mostly small fish and large insects. Also crustaceans, amphibians, small rodents, and small snakes.
Nesting: June and July.
Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey map
Song: Least Bittern Song, also Least Bittern Call
Migrations: Summers throughout most the eastern U.S. and in scattered locations in the West. Winters in the extreme southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
Similar Species: Green Heron
Status: In decline in some areas due to habitat loss and pesticide runoff.
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Least Bittern
2)
Cornell University's "All About Birds - Least Bittern"
3) E-nature.com: Least Bittern
Photo Information: Photo taken near Pierre by Doug Backlund
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This page was last edited on 02/03/08