AMERICAN BITTERN
(Botaurus lentiginosus)
South Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve, Dekalb
Co., GA
photos by Earl Horn
| Click on any image to zoom in. 
|
An increasingly
rare transient in the Atlanta area, due mainly to dwindling suitable
habitat, two American Bitterns were located on Saturday, 15 April 2000 by Kate MacQueen,
and subsequently by Jerry Brunner, at the South Peachtree Nature Preserve
in northern Dekalb Co. Over the next eight days, many area birders
were able to see at least one of these cryptically-patterned skulkers,
occasionally in plain view. The last one was reported on Sunday
evening, 23 April, by Steve Ehly. The top photo shows how bitterns attempt to camouflage themselves among the grasses and reeds of marshes. Fortunately for the birders who were able to observe the bitterns at South Peachtree Creek, the bitterns did not blend in well with the green marsh grass. Nonetheless, the bittern in this photo could easily have been mistaken for a stick or short snag when it assumed its protective posture, bill pointed skyward. The second photo shows a close-up of one of the bitterns. Notice the bold dark and light stripes on the front of the neck and the dark malar stripe. The bottom photo shows one of the bitterns in flight. Note the very dark primaries and secondaries, which contrast with the much lighter wing coverts. The Annotated Checklist of Georgia Birds (1986) lists the American Bittern as an uncommon to common transient inland, an uncommon winter resident on the coast and rare winter visitor elsewhere in the state, and a rare summer resident. Since the Annotated Checklist's publication in 1986, some of the state has undergone profound habitat changes due to development and drought, and bitterns are much less reported than in the past. |
Reviewed 21 Oct 2000
