American Bittern
American Bittern has edged down: down 16% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the American Bittern
The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a North American member of the Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (Ardeidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 12–51 in long (30–130 cm) — a long-legged wader (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 714 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 42 states, most concentrated in the Atlantic Northern Forest.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable American Bittern TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for American Bittern. See the full index history below.
American Bittern Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, American Bittern is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.07 (95% range 0.02–0.12). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±34%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the American Bittern Is Detected
BBS routes recording American Bittern, sized by most recent count.
American Bittern Population Trend by State
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | -34% | 1972 | 36 |
| Colorado | -81% | 1984 | 7 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Florida | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Idaho | -69% | 1988 | 5 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 10 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Iowa | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Kansas | +78% | 1977 | 7 |
| Louisiana | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Maine | -68% | 1969 | 57 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Massachusetts | -28% | 1972 | 12 |
| Michigan | +48% | 1968 | 61 |
| Minnesota | -74% | 1969 | 75 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Montana | -13% | 1970 | 19 |
| Nebraska | +324% | 1972 | 15 |
| Nevada | +100% | 1998 | 7 |
| New Hampshire | -50% | 1968 | 23 |
| New Jersey | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| New York | +8% | 1969 | 63 |
| North Dakota | +104% | 1969 | 45 |
| Ohio | -8% | 1970 | 7 |
| Oklahoma | -72% | 1974 | 7 |
| Oregon | -61% | 1973 | 22 |
| Pennsylvania | -66% | 1969 | 13 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | -45% | 1969 | 34 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Utah | +376% | 1996 | 6 |
| Vermont | -2% | 1968 | 23 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Washington | -64% | 1976 | 17 |
| West Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Wisconsin | -31% | 1968 | 71 |
| Wyoming | -90% | 1980 | 11 |
American Bittern Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
American Bittern Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 16% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.