Amanda De La Cruz, School # 2
Passaic County
American bittern. Passaic County. Amanda De La Cruz
American Bittern
The American Bitterns are an endangered species. American Bitterns are beautiful birds and sing a song around the evening, that song can be heard from miles away. American Bitterns can camouflage with the tall grass. This bird's particular group name is called Ardeine. These birds are also migrating birds.
An American Bittern is a bird with brown and white vertical stripes down on to their necks and bodies. They are normally medium sized. American Bitterns are found and live in marshy areas. They are normally 23-24 inches long with a wing length up to 3feet. They have yellow bills and black stripes on their throat. They normally nest in Canada or America or places by or in the Caribbean, for example: The Golf of Mexico. They breed in marshy areas in those places. This bird normally eats: small fish, eels, small snakes, salamanders, insects, frogs and small mammals.
As said before American Bitterns are endangered. One reason why they are endangered is that people are now using wetlands, their home, for building. For example: in a lot of books it tells you stories about American Bitterns or how people are using wetlands for building, houses and apartments, and how that's affecting animals. These birds are also endangered because there are a lot of people/hunters killing them. Their also endangered because their being eaten by other animals such as hawks and alligators even humans!
These birds are endangered. One way you can help these beautiful birds is by saving wetlands. A wetland is a surface that has soil and is normally soaked with water, seasonally or permanently. These birds need the wetlands because wetlands are their home, nesting place, and food source. If I was an American Bittern I would say: “The way you can help me is to try you're best not to build un-necessary places. I really need the wetlands - it's the only place I can get what I need, such as food. If you build property, I'll lose all I have, and my family and the type of creature I am. Also American Bitterns will have a lower population, and we only have three million left of us. Imagine what would happen if you destroyed our wetlands? More than one thousand of us (American Bitterns) would be swiped out.” Another way you can save these birds is to stop littering. Try to re-develop not develop and like you heard many times re-duce, re-use and recycle.
The American Bitterns' success from not being killed is by the bird's way of camouflaging, the bird's feathers camouflage with the marshy grasses. These birds camouflage so predators cannot kill them. When American Bitterns see or sense a predator they stick their beak up in the sky so you can only see the neck (or can you), which also, like the body camouflages with the tall marshy grass. This bird is very important because this bird is endangered and is beautiful and has a magical voice, and because of their voice which is heard from miles away, that's popularly how hunters end up killing them. If I was an American Bittern I would say, "My type of creature is very important because I, an American Bittern, have been endangered since 1966, and each year American Bitterns' population decreases. That's not the only reason; another reason is that I can sing a very deep but interesting song. Another reason is that not so many birds camouflage, and I camouflage!”
Written by: Amanda De La Cruz
School # 2, Clifton
Teacher: Ms. Miller