A large wading bird of the heron family, known for its loud booming call and for living in reed beds and marshes.
From Old French butor, likely from a Latin root meaning 'ox' (bos), possibly because its deep call resembles a bull's bellow. Medieval people thought its call sounded like a large animal, which inspired the name.
A bittern's booming call sounds like someone blowing across a giant jug—it can be heard from miles away on a quiet night. Medieval people were so spooked by this sound in marshes that they created folklore about monsters, not realizing it was just a bird defending its territory.
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