Birds of Chicago: Least Bittern & Grass Frog – A Black-and-White Wildlife Film

This rare black-and-white archival footage offers a fascinating glimpse into the natural world of Chicago, capturing the behaviors of the Least Bittern and Grass Frog in silent, early 20th-century film. The film begins with a Least Bittern feeding three downy chicks, showing their aggressive bill-grabbing to trigger regurgitation and their playful squabbles over the food, followed by scenes of the bird tending its nest of eggs, brooding, and later revealing tiny nestlings. A brief interlude features a Grass Frog consuming a worm, showcasing its simple yet captivating hunting behavior. A window into Chicago’s pre-urban wildlife, this preserved gem—likely filmed in the 1920s or 1930s—grips nature enthusiasts, ornithologists, and history buffs, offering a timeless peek at these creatures’ lives frozen in time.