Approximately 8 years of age. Frogs, salamanders, crayfish, water scorpions, diving beetles, dragonflies, killifish, pickerel, suckers, small eels, garter and water snakes, and occasionally voles. Adult American bitterns are large, somewhat stocky birds with yellow eyes, rich brown upperparts, and a white throat that is offset by black streaks. Dark flight feathers are conspicuous on the wing tips when the birds are in flight. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Juvenile bitterns lack neck streaking.
American bitterns occur from Central British Columbia east to Newfoundland, south, locally, to the Gulf Coast and west to southern California. They migrate south, but not to the extent that many other wetland birds do. The species winters in the southeastern and Gulf States and as far south as Central America and Cuba. Females choose the nest site in wetland areas, usually on the ground or raised slightly on a platform of thick vegetation. The female also builds the nest, usually out of reeds, sedges and similar plant material.