Guest Post: So You Want To Trap an American Bittern . . .

This is a guest blog post authored by Sam Merker, research biologist, University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut. Since our post on American Bittern tracking research in Connecticut was published, we have received more than a few inquiries about how we capture a species that is known for being elusive, secretive, and generally difficult to observe. The answer will surely surprise some, be somewhat expected by others, and perhaps simply have been overlooked by more experienced bird handlers. The truth is, the method surprised us at first; we thought, "Surely this can’t work!"