Voices: American Bittern 

According to my college ornithology teacher these birds were used by loggers to prank the new guys. Tell them to go out with a bucket to get water from the gurgling spring they could hear in the distance. Poor guys would spend hours following a bird call.

At first I thought it sounded like water dripping from a faucet or a pipe. Never knew a bird could make that kind of sound.

American Bitterns: *Hwo Hwalp* Great Bitterns: *Hwoo baWOOM*

Lived in Western Washington for years. That sound bugged me for the longest time, not because it creeped me out or anything, but because my father insisted it was just the bullfrogs, but I KNEW what bullfrogs sounded like, and that wasn't it- Took Ornithology in college, and stumbled on this peculiar bird and went *OH OH OH! THATS IT*

so unpleasantly beautiful.

It's so great that there are people out there who can appreciate animals so much.

This early spring I started hearing a gulping water sound in my pond, I thought it was an animal choking on water making that noise, then I saw a bird and then I realized that both were linked, the bird and the strange noise. That’s when I found out it was an American Bittern

I was raised on a MN dairy farm in the 1940's. The farm had three sloughs and one of them had an American Bitten that was there every year. When I asked my Dad what kind of bird made that unusual sound, he always answered that it was a Slough Pumper.

Just had one of these in our front yard this morning. We get a small pond when we have enough rain, and it was hunkered down in the tall grass near our rock wall. Had to look up what it was, and when we found out and then heard the call, realized that we have quite a few living in the swampy march across the street. Was really cool. Got some good shots of it.

The American bittern is the quintessential marsh bird. They look like the marsh with their incredible camouflage, they act like the marsh, pointing their bill up and swaying in the breeze... and they even sound like the marsh.

It's Skype!

Ah, thank you. I had to listen to three 'booming' videos before I heard any sound remotely like booming. It is a magical sound among the bird songs. I did sometimes hear a raven playing at making loud 'water droplet' sounds in Alaska. I wonder if they use a burst of air to do that?

My sister and I heard that water-like bird call in our marshes last dusk, and I have spent the whole morning looking for the type of heron that makes that noise. This video clears things up, thank you so much!

I got shitfaced and went into some wood once... It was like 9 PM and getting dark. And then I heard this thing and though that it was an owl drowning somewhere near a hydro pump. Still, it was less scary than that time me and my friend rode our bikes into a black bear's den.

Just heard this in the swamp near our house in Waterbury, VT. We had no idea, but this was definitely it! We didn't get to see anything, but an American Bittern it was!

So much like a toilet plunger.. (as someone else commented in another of their videos) amazing!

one of my favorite all time bird sightings. what a mad lad. caught a fish, too! amazing.

please make voices a separate playlist! I love these!

I hear those spring peepers

The first time I ever encountered a bittern was in Alamosa, CO in summer 2017. My geology mentor at the time pointed out to me what it was that I was hearing. Ever since that day I have been fascinated by these beautiful birds.

What a wonderful composition. Thanks for this Ms. Erickson!

I live beside a quarry in E. Mass and recently spotted one of these guys hanging around. We have had night herons, great blues and greens but never laid eyes on the Bittern. ( Knowingly anyway) I was just now standing at the waters edge and was hearing this strange call. I thought maybe cow birds but wasn't convinced so I do a search on google and......Bingo. How cool. Thank you for posting this.

First time I saw an American Bittern was on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, East of Bayou Cane's mouth. He was swaying his neck in the grass and looking at me down his chin. I stayed for 10 minutes til he decided to fly away. One of my favorite herons!

WHAT!?!? Wonderful! I thought I knew a lot about birds, but I would never have guessed that was one. I would've guessed frog maybe. wonderful. thanks for posting.

I remember hearing these in the slough out west of our barn when I was a kid. My Dad called the shikepokes.

Such a great sound and quite original.....love it.

That's a very interesting sound!

The Bittern Bird was mentioned in a Sherlock Holmes movie !!

best ever recording of this species ever- thanks

I love that sound!

The sound that poured chill through the spines of doctor Watson, at Moore. During his Baskerville venture.

it's the skype login/logoff sound

Amazing and beautiful!

Thanks! I heard my first one this morning!

Heard one of these in a swamp the other day, tried to record it on a phone to ID later. Unfortunately due to the deep audio wave the phone didn’t pick the sound up. Had to search the interwebs to figure out what bird made this sound. :)

What I Am by Edie Brickell brought me here after initially hearing a track on the Cornell ornithology album I purchased and looked up where American Bittern can be found. Thank you for uploading your audio liner notes.

That's a really fascinating sound. Can you tell me what animals are making that pleasant chirping in the background?

Hi Jason.

I've heard that a hundred times but never knew what it was until now.

What an amazing creature...

Thanks for this video clip; I heard this gulping noise but didn't know what it was. Now I know what type of bird to look for if it comes again this spring to the slough south of our house.

Wow! Very cool sound.

Right. I live in Waterford, Connecticut and where I live, I hear the peepers all the time. I hear a bunch of other animals too, including the Treefrogs and even Barred Owls.

Apparently this is what Tyrannosaurus sounded like, crossed with a crocodile.

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did research and you're right. They are Spring Peepers. Treefrogs sound nothing like that.

What stange sound would be coming from the windows of of the desolate cities, of the cormorant and the bittern in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 2 v14

I seen one once. Its funny how they stick their beak strait up to try to look like grass.

hhhhh 好魔性的叫声，好喜欢。

I love birds! This dude sounds like a Skype call sound lol

Great clip, I came across one yesterday making this unique call and wished I had a video camera instead of a DSLR but I got some cool pics, gonna link to this video so people can hear it

in hound of the baskervilles, they hear “a long, low moan, indescribably sad…” and this one guy goes “oh yea it could be a bittern”. how does a long low moan compare to this peculiar sound?

Have you heard of water drumming? This reminds me of that! So cool!

Woww!!!❤❤

Excellent! I think my kids thought I was nuts trying to imitate this call,Lol. Good to have some proof but I am still under suspicion,Lol.

it sounds like the sound you hear when you decline a skype call

I heard about bitterns from a documentary about paleolithic Britain. This is not how I imagined them sounding

Video begins at 00:51

I heard that they put their beaks in the ground and the sound goes through the other end 😱

So awesome. :)

Omg! It was driving me nuts when I first heard it. I'm pretty good at what sounds birds make and I thought I was hearing a prairie chicken lol... They make a sound very similar by inflating there breasts. But then I seen it and with some detective work I found it and your video and sure enough I've got me a bittern behind my house here in northern Maine. I've got a large marsh behind the house where he's set up camp. Very cool sounds... He doesn't seem to mind me either. Message if you'd like more information. Thanks.

Strangely musical

@primeorganist88 It's just a name; don't put so much stock in it. The fact of the matter is, the American Bittern's range does extend to Canada, as well, where they migrate to breed.

It sounds like the old 5 gallon water jug fountain.

Gangstas play that sound at full volume in mall parking lots. The cops can't do a darn thing!

i live in canada... and the bitterns that i here when im out for a bike ride dont sound like that... its lower

Funfact:- It can roar like Tiger

sounds like me when I've had to much to drink 🥴

Where is the audio from of the Bittern call?

Maybe you should have known that the range of the American Bittern extends to Canada.

It sounds like the Skype chat sound

Intro Ride

hear him hurgling

I thought there were frogs out in my yard!! 😂

Definitely spring peepers...

It makes me think of a Skype call connection

the wing of these bird have 9 colours.

@primeorganist88 their all called the same thing

Me getting up at 3am to drink water

I came here from here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lJtyHJe17qY.html Basil Rathbone and The Hound of the Baskervilles. It was said that a howling sound coming from the moor might be that of a bittern....

It sounds like Spring Peepers to me.

WATER DRIPPING FROM PIPE

He sounds like lava in minecraft ._.

Sounds like Skype call notif

Sounds like skype

Okay, Great Bitterns are welcome to NOT make those noises, any time now!!

🤎

Sound of tabla

Ibises

Treefrogs.

Sounds like Skype. :D

What a weird sound.

Canada is part of the NORTH AMERICAN continent, genius

Im waiting to hear a bittern but in get this loud shrill womans voice jarring me for the first 20 seconds

Выпь.

I only know this from living in Wayne National Forest, in Hocking Hills, Ohio. Spring peepers and daffodils are the very earliest sign of spring, usually you can hear the peepers and see the daffodils when it's still cold enough to snow. There are tree frogs here, too, but they come later. When I first heard the peepers I wasn't sure if they were birds, frogs or insects, honestly!