American bittern
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈbɪtərn/
- Specialized
:
garza americana
- With its streaked brown and buff plumage, the American bittern blends seamlessly into its marshy habitat.
Examples
-
May is a good time to see migrating shorebirds on their way farther north; glossy ibis, great egrets, and American bitterns summer here, and a few may stay year-round.
Academic text (2010) -
Some are seldom-seen species like the azure bluebird, green kingfisher, and American bittern.
Academic text (2002) -
The American bittern is often heard but rarely seen, making it a fascinating bird for wildlife enthusiasts.
-
On our birdwatching trip, we were thrilled to spot an American bittern standing still among the reeds.
Synonyms
A brown wading bird like a small heron that lives in reeds and makes a loud booming call
A marsh bird like a heron with camouflaged feathers and a deep booming call
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a North American species of bittern' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'American' (of the Americas) with 'bittern' (a type of heron-like bird). This adjective+noun species naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard compositional grammar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
American bittern gets its name from a long-held idea that the bird's deep, booming call sounds like a bull or ox. Because it hides in the reeds and makes a low 'boom', people compared its voice to a bull, and that picture is why the marsh bird is called a 'bittern'.
