Large wading birds with long legs and necks that live in marshes and swamps, known for their loud booming calls that sound like a foghorn.
From Middle English 'bitore,' derived from Old French 'butor,' possibly from a combination of 'bu' (ox) and 'tor' (bull), referencing the bird's bull-like booming call that resembles cattle sounds.
Bitterns are master ventriloquists of nature—their booming call comes from inflating their esophagus like a biological loudspeaker, and can be heard up to two miles away, making them sound much larger than they actually are.
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