Least Bittern

The male Least Bittern gives a low, repetitive cooing: a series of soft "coo-coo-coo" notes, almost dove-like but quieter. They carry through the marsh at dawn and dusk during breeding season, and are easily overlooked because of their subtle volume. You may need to be fairly close to hear this gentle hooting.

Breeds in summer in scattered wetlands across the eastern U.S., Midwest, and parts of the West (patchily). Winters primarily in Florida, Gulf Coast, and further south into the tropics. Northern breeders migrate south in late summer and fall. In warm Gulf Coast states, some may be present year-round, but generally they withdraw from areas that freeze. Migration is nocturnal and not well observed. Considered a secretive and inconspicuous migrant, likely traveling mostly at night and settling into marshes by day.

Dense marshes with tall emergent vegetation. Prefers freshwater or brackish marshes dominated by cattails, reeds, bulrushes, or similar plants standing in shallow water. Can inhabit extensive marshes or even small reedy ponds. Often in wetlands with a mix of open water and dense cover for foraging. Seldom seen out in the open; usually stays within thick vegetation. In winter, also uses coastal mangroves or tidal marsh edges with dense growth.

A shy, mostly crepuscular bird – most active at dawn, dusk, and nighttime. Often heard giving soft cooing calls at dusk and sometimes during the night. Breeding occurs in late spring and summer, when pairs build well-hidden platform nests in marsh vegetation. They may nest in loose colonies if habitat is good. During breeding season, territorial calls (a soft coo-coo-coo) are commonly heard at twilight. In winter, they remain quiet and solitary in dense marshes.

One of the smallest herons in the world, measuring only about 11-14 inches. It has a very slender body and a long neck and bill. Adult males have a glossy blackish-green crown and back, with rich chestnut brown wing patches and buffy-ochre neck and sides; females are similar but with dark brown (not black) on the crown and back, and overall slightly paler tones. Underparts in both sexes are whitish with brown streaks on the neck and breast. Legs are yellow-green. Adapted for clambering in reeds, it often perches with its body vertical and neck extended, appearing almost like a reed itself.