THE LEAST BITTERN 



(Ardetta exilis. 



Among our water and marsh birds 

 scarcely one is of greater interest than 

 the saucy little Least Bittern. With his 

 small, mottled body and big neck he 

 looks at you from among a distant 

 clump of cattails, as though asking what 

 right you had to disturb him in his quiet 

 and secluded nook. His constant com 

 panions are the red-winged blackbirds 

 and the marsh wrens, and occasionally 

 the long-legged rails. Indeed, so close 

 ly does this bird resemble the rail in 

 size and general color, that one is easily 

 deceived when it is seen from a dis 

 tance, especially if it is in the act of 

 climbing up the cattails as does the 

 rail. 



Like its larger relative, the American 

 bittern, as well as other members of 

 the heron order, this species spends 

 much time walking slowly along in shal 

 low water, in search of food, its head 

 and neck being thrown forward at every 

 step, appearing as though it was going 

 to stop something with its long, sharp 

 bill. The herons are notably thin in 

 body, but this diminutive member of the 

 order is so thin that it will easily pass 

 through a space less than an inch and 

 a half in width. The astonishment with 

 which the young taxidermist or orni 

 thologist views the very small skinned 

 body of the herons in comparison with 

 their appearance when alive, is an ex 

 perience long remembered. 



The food of the Least Bittern is va 

 ried, including mollusks, frogs, lizards 

 and small shrews and mice; tadpoles 

 are considered a dainty morsel. Insects 

 are also said to form a part of the diet 

 of this bird. The Least Bittern is said 

 to be more nocturnal than diurnal in 

 habit. Its flights during the day are 

 short, low and generally undertaken 

 only when frightened by some enemy. 

 At night, especially at dusk, its flight 

 is more conspicuous, is undertaken 

 rather high above the marsh and . re 

 sembles that of the herons, its long legs 



being stretched out behind it and its 

 neck doubled back upon its back. Like 

 the rail it endeavors to hide among the 

 sedges and rushes when danger is near, 

 and the color and shape of its body aids 

 not a little in protecting it, by causing 

 it to become inconspicuous among the 

 dead and dried leaves and stalks of the 

 previous year's growth of vegetation. 



The Least Bittern builds its nest in 

 secluded spots on the borders of ponds 

 and lakes where the rushes, sedges and 

 cattails form good places for conceal 

 ment. The nest is flat and is composed 

 of dead material gathered from the near 

 by reeds. The nest is generally built 

 near the ground but it is not infrequent 

 ly constructed at a height of three feet 

 from the ground in a thick cluster of 

 smilax and other briary plants, as men 

 tioned by Audubon. In many localities 

 the nest is built at . from a few inches 

 to a foot or more above the ground or 

 water, and attached to the stems of cat 

 tails. Sedges and pickerel weed are 

 also used in constructing the nest which 

 is neither handsome nor durable. The 

 eggs number from three to five to the 

 set and measure an inch and a quarter 

 by about two inches. They are elliptical 

 in form and are white with a delicate 

 tinge of green. The nesting season va 

 ries in different localities. Nests may 

 be found with eggs in late May or early 

 June. It is said that two broods are 

 raised yearly as sets of eggs have been 

 found as late as July or early August. 

 The male is said to assist in incubating 

 the eggs. The note of the Least Bittern 

 is an unmusical qua not unlike the rest 

 of the herons. 



This diminutive creature makes up in 

 spirit what it lacks in size. A wounded 

 individual with a broken wing was cap 

 tured sometime ago and it would thrust 

 its long bill savagely at any one who 

 came near or at anything that was 

 placed near it, its bright little eyes blaz 

 ing with anger. Even this small bird 



