Juan led us to a marsh prior to going to Cano Negro that was loaded with various marsh birds. I told him I had never seen or photographed a bittern before. He pulled out his collection of bird songs, played the bittern song and 5 minutes later pointed to a bittern in the marsh. While I had always sought an American Bittern I was thrilled to get a Pinnated Bittern, very similar to the kind I was looking for.

The Pinnated Bittern Botaurus pinnatus, is also known as the South American Bittern, and is a member of the heron family Ardeidae found in the New World Tropics. Like the others in the genus Botaurus its plumage is mostly buffy-brown and cryptically patterned. Though it is a widespread species, it is rarely seen – presumably due to its skulking habits – and much about its life history remains little known.

This “it is rarely seen” part was why I needed help in finding one.

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