Bittern
| Bitterns | |
|---|---|
 | |
American bittern | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Subfamily: | Botaurinae |
| Genera | |
| |
Bittern is a common name given to birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called hæferblæte in Old English; the word "bittern" came to English from Old French butor, itself from Gallo-Roman butitaurus, a compound of Latin būtiō and taurus.[1].
Bitterns usually frequent reed beds and similar marshy areas, and feed on amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish.
Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
The genus Ixobrychus contains mainly small species:
Little bittern, Ixobrychus minutus
Australian little bittern, Ixobrychus dubius
New Zealand little bittern, Ixobrychus novaezelandiae (extinct)
Cinnamon bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
Stripe-backed bittern, Ixobrychus involucris
Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis
Yellow bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis
Schrenck's bittern, Ixobrychus eurhythmus
Dwarf bittern, Ixobrychus sturmii
Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis
The genus Botaurus is the larger bitterns:
American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosa.
Eurasian bittern or great bittern, Botaurus stellaris
South American bittern, Botaurus pinnatus
Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus
Botaurus hibbardi (fossil)
The genus Zebrilus includes only one species:
Zigzag heron (or properly Zigzag bittern), Zebrilus undulatus
Notes
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Botaurinae. |
^ Joseph P. Pickett; et al., eds. (2000). "Bittern". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Archived from the original on 2005-01-16. Retrieved 2006-07-04..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
