The Least Bittern 



No. 389 



Least Bittern 



A. O. U. No. 191. Ixobrychus exilis exilis (Gmelin). 



Description. — Adult male: Top of head, back, scapulars, and tail shining 

 black with faint greenish reflections; sides of head and neck pale rufous, deepening 

 on back of neck to rich chestnut; wing-coverts, bordering the black, brownish buff; 

 the greater coverts and tertials broadly tipped with chestnut-rufous, and the inner 

 primaries and secondaries narrowly, underparts whitish, clearest on chin and sides of 

 throat and lower belly, streaked with buffy on throat, fore-neck, chest, and flanks; 

 dark brown patches on sides of breast, sometimes almost meeting in front. Bill pale 

 yellow, blackening on culmen; iris yellow; legs greenish in front, yellow behind; toes 

 yellow. Adult female: Similar, but dark brown rather than black on top of head; 

 black of back entirely replaced by glossy rufous-brown, the scapulars margined on 

 outer edge with white; buffy flank-streaks with sharp, blackish shaft-lines, etc. Imma- 

 ture male: Similar to adult, but back and scapulars washed with rufous, and feathers 

 chestnut-tipped. Immature female: Like adult female, but feathers of back and 

 scapulars bordered with ochraceous, etc. Length 304.8-355.6 (12.00-14.00); wing 

 116. 8 (4.60); tail 40.6 (1.60); bill 44.5 (1.75); tarsus 40.6 (1.60); middle toe and claw 

 41.9 (1.65). 



Recognition Marks. — Little hawk size; black or dark brown and rufous coloring 

 above; slender form; marsh-skulking habits. 



Nesting. — Nest: A raised and slightly hollowed platform of dead cattail 

 leaves, etc., surrounded by water or mud of swamp. Eggs: 3 to 5, rarely 6; pale 

 bluish- or greenish-white (often fading to white in collections). Av. size 30.6 x 22.9 

 (1.20 x .90). 



Range of Ixobrychus exilis. — Temperate North America, Middle America, and 

 northern South America. 



Range of /. e. exilis.- — As above except Colombia [/. e. bogotensis (Chapman)]- 

 Breeds from southern Oregon and southern tier of Canadian Provinces east from Sas- 

 katchewan south to West Indies and Brazil (A. O. U. Com.). Winters from the Gulf 

 States southward. 



Distribution in California. — Not common summer resident in the San Diegan 

 district and north through the central valley. Breeding stations are Stockton (Bel- 

 ding), Los Banos (Dawson), Los Angeles County (Grinnell), San Jacinto Lake (Willett 

 and Jay), and Escondido (Sharp). 



Authorities. — Vigors (Ardea exilis), Zool. Voy. "Blossom," 1839, p. 27 (San 

 Francisco) ; Sharp, Condor, vol. ix., 1907, p. 94 (San Luis Rey, San Diego Co.; nesting); 

 Willett and Jay, Condor, vol. xiii., 191 1, p. 159, fig. (desc. and photo of nest and eggs; 

 San Jacinto Lake). 



ONE IS TEMPTED to apply the word awkward to this bird, as he 

 is ordinarily noted in daylight. See him as he springs up suddenly from 

 your feet in the cat-tail tangle — the flapping wings, the straightening 

 neck, the legs clumsily dangled until the bird's balance is gained, the 

 noisy plash with which he settles into the reeds again — all this seems 



1920 



