About Botaurus pinnatus (Wagler, 1829)
Botaurus pinnatus (Wagler, 1829), commonly called the pinnated bittern, is a large heron species. It measures 25–30 inches (64–76 cm) long, with a body weight ranging from 554 to 1,157 grams (1.2 to 2.6 pounds); males are typically considerably heavier than females. The sexes have similar plumage, but females are smaller than males, and have brown rather than black tail feathers. Both adult and immature pinnated bitterns are generally buffy overall, with heavy cryptic markings. Juveniles tend to have a slightly more reddish base body color. The throat is plain unmarked white, the foreneck is white with broad pale brown streaks, and the rest of the neck is buff with thin black barring. The breast and belly are white with broad pale brown streaks, while the back is buff, with heavy black streaks and barring. Tail feathers are black in males and brown in females. Slate-grey flight feathers create a noticeable two-toned pattern when the bird is in flight. The bill is stout and strong, generally yellowish with a dark dusky upper mandible. Bare facial skin is bright yellow, with a brown line running across the lores. The legs are greenish-yellow, and the iris is yellow. The species is also sometimes called the South American bittern, but this alternate name is misleading because the species ranges as far north as southern Mexico. Its distribution extends from the Atlantic slope of southeastern Mexico to northern Argentina, though there are very few recorded sightings in Guatemala and Honduras. It occurs mostly in low-lying areas, but has been recorded at up to 8,500 feet (2,590 m) above sea level in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. It inhabits a variety of freshwater environments, including dense reed beds, lake shorelines, flooded tall-grass pastures, marshes, and overgrown ditches. Vegetation in its habitat is typically dominated by tall sedges (Cyperaceae), water hyacinth (Eichornia), rushes (Juncus), common reeds (Phragmites), or cattails (Typha). It will also use rice (Oryza) and sugarcane (Saccharum) plantations. The pinnated bittern is mostly nocturnal. While it is generally solitary, it will gather in small loose groups at preferred feeding locations. When alarmed, it typically freezes in place with its body crouched low, and its head held vertically raised just enough to see. It usually only flushes when approached very closely. Neither population size nor overall population trend has been estimated for this species. Due to its broad range, however, the IUCN classifies it as a species of Least Concern. The pinnated bittern has a varied diet that includes fish (such as eels), reptiles, amphibians, chicks, arthropods, molluscs, worms (including leeches), and small mammals (even young common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus). It typically ambushes all of its prey. It is a patient hunter, often standing motionless for long periods while waiting for prey to move within striking range.
