Bird identification help

[Billy]

I was out on one of my bass ponds near Potholes reservoir when I saw a bird I'm struggling to identify. It came out of cattails. Was large enough I thought at first small eagle or owl but it wasn’t. It kind of flew up and then away in an irregular flight pattern. It was gray or brown and white in sort of a barred pattern. Had a weird little triangle short beak. I don't think it had long legs like a shore bird and seemed bigger then most shore birds. It didn't explode out of the cattails and wasn't a type of duck or goose. It's driving me nuts trying to figure out

 

[Robert Engleheart]

Kestrel? https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/overview#

 

[sisqflyfshr]

Could be a Virginia Rail or perhaps a Sora. They both make a living deep in the cattails.

 

[Matt B]

American bittern?

 

[ABITNF]

Sora is what I'm thinking as well. I've had a couple close encounters with them and they seem to have no fear of humans.

 

[Rob Allen]

Focusing on the fact that you first thought it was an eagle...

Maybe it was marsh hawk aka Northern Harrier. They often fly low and erratically.https://education.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-harrier

 

[Billy]

Bigger then a Sora. Not a Hawk. Maybe a Bittern. Will have to see if I can find videos of one

 

[Billy]

Yeah definitely an American Bittern after looking at pictures. Thanks @Matt B

 

[Billy]

American Bittern

Extensive freshwater marshes are the favored haunts of this large, stout, solitary heron. It is seldom seen as it slips through the reeds, but its odd pumping or booming song, often heard at dusk or...

www.audubon.org

 

[Matt B]

Yeah definitely an American Bittern after looking at pictures. Thanks @Matt B

That's a cool bird to see. They are normally quite cryptic!

 

[dep]

so, not an Atlantic salmon

 

[Pink Nighty]

Cool feathers on that neck!

 

[PhilR]

That's a cool bird to see. They are normally quite cryptic!

I spent ten minutes staring at a bittern 20 feet away before I finally saw it. The green legs gave it away. And they're pretty good size.

Anyone interested in bird ID should try the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You can put in a description with location, and it will give likely matches. My new favorite is the Sound ID feature. Just open your microphone, and it will highlight bird calls in real time.

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Cool looking bird. Looks a lot like a small heron.

 

[Hatty]

It is a heron. I was in Klamath Basin as a youth, and much marsh habitat around there. So there were many Bitterns and other kinds of herons. A common name for the Bittern is shitepoke. We called them shitaquarts. Because upon taking flight if they're startled they shit about what seems like a quart. Did your bird squirt when it took off, Billy?

 

[Wetswinger]

Focusing on the fact that you first thought it was an eagle...

Maybe it was marsh hawk aka Northern Harrier. They often fly low and erratically.https://education.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-harrier

I agree with Bob. Harriers bob around on their long wings and fly low looking in the brush and grass for prey. They have a distinctive white band on top, where the tail meets the body. Fun to watch them work..

 

[TicTokCroc]

I agree with Bob. Harriers bob around on their long wings and fly low looking in the brush and grass for prey. They have a distinctive white band on top, where the tail meets the body. Fun to watch them work..

OMG thank you! I have seen this hawk on my way to work almost every day working its territory. Flying low across the fields with that white band above the rump. For some reason I thought it would be easy to ID with that white patch but internet searches have been inconclusive.

 

[PhilR]

I agree with Bob. Harriers bob around on their long wings and fly low looking in the brush and grass for prey. They have a distinctive white band on top, where the tail meets the body. Fun to watch them work..

and an owl-like face disc.

 

[Rob Allen]

and an owl-like face disc.

Lad Marsh in La Grande Oregon is a great place to watch them...

 

[PhilR]

Lad Marsh in La Grande Oregon is a great place to watch them...

I’ll bet. I see them up at ridgefield all the time, too.