$6 HERODIONES: Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. 



BITTERN 



(190. Botaurus lentiginosus) 30 in. 



In general appearance yellowish-brown, everywhere mottled, 

 spotted, and streaked, and a strong black stripe on side of neck. 



At close range upper parts are a fine mixture of ochraceous 

 and buffy, dusky streaked; whitish or creamy below, brown- 

 striped. 



Young resemble adults, but are more rusty. 



Call: A weird, resonant "pump-er-lunk," delivered from the 

 midst of a grassy marsh. Popularly known as ''Thunder- 

 pump." 



LEAST BITTERN 



(191. Ixobrychus exilis) 13 in. 



Male: Back and crown green-black; wing buffy and chestnut; 

 neck chestnut behind, buffy mixed in front; below, light buff. 



Female: Brown above; browner below than male. 



An awkward, loose-jointed bird that skulks through the tules 

 and seems rare even though fairly common. Its color-scheme 

 and small size easily distinguish it from all other species. 



ANTHONY GREEN HERON 



(201c. Butorides virescens anthonyi) 18 in. 



Neck and sides of head chestnut, the former whitish or buffy 

 in front; top of head and nape with a loose crest of greenish 

 black; back and wings dark green with bluish "bloom"; wing- 

 coverts buffy-edged; under parts grayish. 



Immatures: Duller above; coarsely streaked below. 



Larger and much darker than the Least Bittern, which it ap- 

 proaches in size. 



