Least Bittern Nesting Record in Maine
Wilson PU and Longcore JR. 2011. Least Bittern Nesting Record in Maine. Northeastern Naturalist. 18(3):382-385
Journal Article on the nesting patterns of the Ixobrychus exilis Gmelin (Least Bittern). In June 2001, we located an active Ixobrychus exilis (Least Bittern) nest in Bass Harbor marsh on Mount Desert Island, Hancock County, ME. Only 2 other descriptions of Least Bittern nests exist for Maine, although based on other breeding evidence, the species is known to breed elsewhere in the state. We found the nest in a 0.7-ha Typha sp. (cattail)-dominated area within a larger (3.5 ha) freshwater wetland located ≈120 m from an 88-ha estuary. During the breeding season, most Least Bitterns in Maine and elsewhere are found in wetlands of greater size, usually >10 ha.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wilson, Paul; Longcore, Jerry
- Units
- ACAD , NETN
- Keywords
- Bass Harbor, Behavior, Bird, Breeding, egg count, least bitttern, Maine, Mount Desert Island, Size, Vocalization