Everglades National Park Birding Tour: Bittern

The Bittern is a long distance migratory bird found wintering in South Florida. It is a tough bird to spot - is solitary and hides itself in cattails, sawgrass or rushes. It feeds mainly in marshes - dining on frogs, sirens, small fish, insects or reptiles. If it senses danger, it will become completely still, with its head up which helps it to blend in. More often heard than seen, the bittern has a distinctive call. The diminutive Least Bittern is even more rarely seen - there's a photo of one below to the right that we found injured in the Everglades. We took it to the Wildlife Care Center in Ft. Lauderdale where it was nursed back to health. To go back to Bird List, click here.