American bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus

Size: 26 inches
Overall Color: brown and white
Occurrence: wetlands
Diet: fish and small animals
Nest: platform on dry ground, or in emergent vegetation
Field Identification: long bill often held vertically, long necks
Season: summer

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Chordata (hollow nerve cord)
Subphylum: Vertebrata (backbone)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Order: ciconiiformes
Family: 19 Ardeidae (herons,bitterns,egrets)
Genus: Botaurus
Species: lentiginosus