An American Bittern in the Ramble
The first American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) I saw was on May 8, 2016, at the south end of the Oven in Central Park. Another was reported in the Ramble in September 2016, but unfortunately I didn't get to see that one. Since then I’ve have seen them (although not always photographed them) on Staten Island, at Green-Wood Cemetery and at the Pool and Laupot Bridge in Central Park.
American bittern, the Pool, Central Park, March 31, 2022
American bittern, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, April 2, 2023
American bittern, Laupot Bridge, Central Park, April 14, 2023
These photos and the Filming the Feathers video are of the May 8, 2016, sighting.
An American bittern at the Oven, May 8, 2016
This is a beautiful heron, with a longer bill and longer neck than either the black-crowned night heron or the yellow-bcrowned night heron. The birds are generally not seen in the open, but stay in the reeds. They eat fish, frogs and insects primarily.
To read more about the American bittern, check out the Cornell Web site.
