An injured bittern has been returned to the wild after recuperating at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill.

The bird, listed as endangered and protected under the Game and Wildlife Code, was found injured in Bloomsburg on March 29 and brought to the center for rehabilitation.Bloomsburg resident Justin Fischer found the odd bird in his yard, pecking through a chain-link fence at the neighbor's dog.The American bittern, a member of the heron family, lives in scattered wetlands found in the northwestern part of the state, and in isolated pockets of the northeast.According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the American bittern has suffered greatly from the loss of wetland habitat in most other parts of Pennsylvania.Wildlife Conservation Officer Michael College surmised the bird might have hit a window, power line, or other obstruction along its migratory route.College carefully placed the injured bird in a large pet carrier and drove it to the center in Summit Hill, where the bittern could receive a professional medical evaluation and treatment.The center's chief naturalist Susan Gallagher said the bird suffered an injury to the outer portion of its right wing and she had high hopes that it can be released back into the wild.- Bob FordThe Pennsylvania Game Commission contributed to this report.