Threatened 'Least Bittern' Nest Confirmed in Kane County Forest Preserve

Wildlife staff with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County recently made an exciting discovery while conducting field work in a dense stand of cattails—a carefully woven nest suspended above the water.     

****UPDATED** The chicks have hatched.  

​​

After installing a camera to identify the elusive nest builders, staff confirmed it was a pair of Least Bitterns tending to their eggs. The small marsh bird is listed as a threatened species in Illinois, making the nesting confirmation especially significant.

Simply spotting a bird is not enough to document a breeding population. Confirmed nesting allows the Forest Preserve District to report breeding activity to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and helps guide future habitat management efforts to protect sensitive species like the Least Bittern.

To help protect the nesting birds, the Forest Preserve District intentionally did not disclose the location of the nest.​

​Learn more about the Least Bittern here.

Learn more about the activities of the Kane County Forest Preserve at https://www.kaneforest.com/​.