Joann Merritt's Essays

An American Bittern Displays For Two Midnats
May, 1992

An American Bittern answered a tape of a Bittern’s call and presently emerged from the reeds and bulrushes at Rail Crossing on East Stink Creek. As he stood in the middle of the road it was evident by his displays in plumage and actions that courtship was on his mind. The feathers on his long outstretched neck appeared puffed out and very white, and he also raised a mantle of white plumes across his brown feathered shoulders. His stance reminded me of people who tilt their head backwards to peer through their bifocals. While assuming this pose with his large pointed bill aimed at the sky, he could still observe his surroundings because of the way his eyes are positioned in his head.

The Bittern crossed the road to a spot where he could easily be seen in the sparser vegetation. He started taking in big gulps of air. Each time it looked as if he were swallowing when he did, but from then on he was on his own. He assumed a crouching position and played “bounce the ball” with the three gulps of air he had stored in his esophagus. The contortions he went through to make his nuptial music made us think he would surely throw up the entire contents of his stomach but he only produced a booming “pump-er-lunk”. We watched in wonderment as he repeated this display, then Don cautiously exited the pickup and photographed the Bittern. We left Rail Crossing but we took our exposed film and fantastic birding experience home with us.

Editor’s comments: Don’s outstanding photos of the display of the Bittern’s nuptial plumes are the first I have ever seen. These usually well hidden plumes grow on the sides of the breast and neck. When raised in display, they expand until they arch over the back. It is shocking to see such bright white feathers around the shoulders of the brown bird! Another unfamiliar feature of a bittern’s plumage is the presence of “powder down feathers.” They are two large, thick patches of yellowish feathers on the breast, hidden by the contour feathers. These continuously release a white powder which is formed by hardening of some of the cells of the feathers as they develop and is released as the feathers emerge from their sheaths. This powder dusts the bird’s plumage and has a waterproof quality. All herons have powder down feathers, and so, surprisingly, has the Northern Harrier. FW