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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pretzel" data-source="post: 324245" data-attributes="member: 12257">Hrrrrmmmm... that's what I thought at first, too, as I run across them from time to time around here.  All of the bitterns I've ever come across have more distinct striping on the breast, though, and keep the brown through the head and back feathers.  Usually when they flare their feathers, too, it's more of a circular neck flare instead of a crest flare. This pic (actually the first I took of the very same bird) with the flared crest and dark green cap feathers, along with the longer (by proportion) tail feathers with the same greenish cast, made me do a double take.  Haven't seen a bittern with that darker non-brown coloring before, so did a pic search, then honed down to just images of the juvenile green herons, and that's what sold me.  Both very similar...Have you ever run across a bittern down in Fla. with this darker coloring?</blockquote>