What Does an American Bittern Look Like? If you’re birding in a marsh and you think you’re seeing a large reed, look again — your “reed” might be an American bittern! This bird’s brown and white, ...

The Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a reclusive bird belonging to the heron family. Close to the size of a chicken, bitterns are a mix of golden-brown mottled with delicate black and tan.

Have you ever been out recreating in Montana, maybe near a wetland, and a strange sound stopped you in your tracks? Perhaps a repetitive, guttural “oonk-ga-loonk”? You might have heard one of ...