Bird
American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
Passes through Arkansas on migration. Found in all 75 counties, across 4 habitats.
- Here
- On migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 75 counties
- Habitats
- 4

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- On migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 75 counties
- Habitats
- 4
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Arkansas 4
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (53)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Arkansas. Those recorded in Arkansas first, the rest by region.
In Arkansas 1
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter, only within 500 m of water.
Elsewhere in the South (23)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Winter.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter, only within 500 m of water.
Northeast (4)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Heathland and Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
Land cover and other classes (25)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Brackish/Salt) Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Burned Forest Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Burned Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Logged Areas Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- South Texas Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
Seasons in Arkansas
- Migratory: does not nest here, in all 75 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 155
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food.
- Hairy SunflowerHelianthus hirsutus
- Heliotropium tenellumHeliotropium tenellum
- Lanceleaf BluetHoustonia purpurea var. calycosa
- Indigofera miniataIndigofera miniata
- Stiff AsterIonactis linariifolia
- Annual Marsh-elderIva annua
- Ashe's JuniperJuniperus ashei
- White CutgrassLeersia virginica
- Rough Blazing-starLiatris aspera
- Cusp GayfeatherLiatris mucronata
- SweetgumLiquidambar styraciflua
- Southern StoneseedLithospermum tuberosum
- Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne
- Northern Winged Loose StrifeLythrum alatum
- Osage-orangeMaclura pomifera
- Two-flower MelicgrassMelica mutica
- Hair-awn MuhlyMuhlenbergia capillaris
- Yellow PuffNeptunia lutea
- American Hop-hornbeamOstrya virginiana
- Beaked PanicgrassPanicum anceps
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatum
- Florida PaspalumPaspalum floridanum
- Cobaea BeardtonguePenstemon cobaea
Wildlife 220
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Arkansas. Not sighting records.
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Ross's GooseChen rossii
- Snow GooseChen caerulescens
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- American WigeonAnas americana
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for American Bittern
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)





































