American Bittern

The bird in this Roger Tory Peterson painting is the American bittern, a solitary heron of the marshes. Peterson's depiction emphasizes the species' characteristic stripes and its ability to hide among the reeds. This painting is one of over 3,000 small-scale watercolors commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and used for their conservation stamps. The stamps were produced from the 1930s-1990s to promote the mission and work of the National Wildlife Federation.