American bittern

Review bycanaryswear· 2026-11-04

Also its name is atoncuepotli and ateponaztli. It is rather large, the same size as the Castilian chicken, the capon. Its head is dark yellow; its bill yellowish, small, and cylindrical, about a span in length. Its breast, its back, its tail, its wings are all dark yellow, slightly blackened; its legs, its shanks, are dark. And for this reason is it called tolcomoctli: as it sings, it resounds. For this reason is it called atoncuepotli: when it sings, it is clearly heard to explode; it is very loud. And it is called ateponaztli because it sounds from a distance like a two-toned drum, so loud is it. This American bittern always lives here in the reeds; here it raises its young. It sits on only five, or four eggs. For these water folk this American bittern is always a portent. When it sings a great deal, always all night, they know thereby that rains will come, it will rain much, and there will be many fish—all manner of water life. But if it will not rain much, if there will not be many fish, it does not sing much. Only perhaps every third day, after much time, does it sing.