Eurasian Bittern

Taxobox
name = Eurasian Bittern
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=49614|title=Botaurus stellaris|downloaded=12 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]


image_width = 200px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Ciconiiformes
familia = Ardeidae
genus = "Botaurus"
species = "B. stellaris"
binomial = "Botaurus stellaris"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern ("Botaurus stellaris") is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae.

Description

It is a large, chunky, brown bird, very similar to the American Bittern, "Botaurus lentiginosa". It is 69-81 cm (24"-34") in length, with a 100-130 cm wingspan.

Distribution

It is declining in much of its temperate European and Asian range. It is resident in the milder west and south, but migrates south from areas where the water freezes in winter.

In the UK, the main areas are Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs. Europe as a whole is estimated at 20-44,000 males. [ [http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/bittern/index.asp The RSPB: Bittern ] ]

Behaviour

This bittern is usually well-hidden in "Phragmites" reedbeds. Usually solitary, it walks stealthily seeking amphibians and fish. If it senses that it has been seen, it becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dawn and dusk.

Its folk names include "barrel-maker", "bog-bull", "bog hen", "bog-trotter", and "butterbump" [In Norfolk from its high fat content when eaten as food] , mire drum, mostly refer to the mating call of the male, which is a deep fog-horn or bull-like "boom", easily audible from a distance of 2 miles on a calm night. The Latin for bittern, "Botaurus", also refers to the bull. The other part of its scientific name, "stellata" is the Latin for "starry", in reference to its plumage.

Surveys of Eurasian Bitterns are carried out by noting the number of distinct male booms in a given area.

The Eurasian Bittern is one of the species to which the "Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds" (AEWA) applies.

In Fiction

Eurasian Bittern is proposed as a rational explanation behind the mythical creature drekavac in short story "Brave Mita and drekavac from the pond" by Branko Ćopić [cite book| last=Ćopić| first=Branko| authorlink=Branko Copic| title=U svijetu medvjeda i leptirova| chapter=Hrabri Mita i drekavac iz rita| url=http://www.lektirabih.com.ba/101/102/copasml.htm|chapterurl=http://www.lektirabih.com.ba/101/102/102bcsml.htm#_Toc158393743|retrieved=2007-05-01] .

References

* [http://www.bitterns.org.uk/aboutbitterns/bitternfacts/index.php Bitterns.org.uk]

External links

*commonscat-inline|Botaurus stellaris
* [http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/bittern/index.asp RSPB with sound file]
* [http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/birds/Botaurus_stellaris/ ARKive Stills, video]