Botaurus

The genus Botaurus was introduced in 1819 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens.{{ cite book | last=Stephens | first=James Francis | author-link=James Francis Stephens | year=1819 | title=General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History | volume=11, Part 2 | location=London | publisher=Kearsley et al. | pages=592, 595 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36848863 }} Stephens did not specify the type species but this was designated as Ardea stellaris Linnaeus (Eurasian bittern) by George Gray in 1840.{{ cite book | last=Gray | first=George Robert | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1840 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | location=London | publisher=R. and J.E. Taylor | page=66 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13668983 }}{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=242 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108882 }} The name Botaurus is Medieval Latin for a bittern. The word combines Latin bos meaning "oxen" (compare butire "to boom") and taurus meaning "bull".{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=Botaurus | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=Botaurus | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=20 August 2024}} In describing the Eurasian bittern Stephens wrote: "At this period the male makes a singular noise, which is compared with the deep bellowing of a bull, and is continued for about two months: ...".{{cite web| title= Bittern (1)| work= Oxford English Dictionary| url= http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/19574?rskey=Qgen84&result=1#eid | publisher=Oxford University Press | access-date =16 May 2016}}{{subscription required}}

The genus formerly contained fewer species. Molecular genetic studies found that the genus Ixobrychus was paraphyletic with respect to Botaurus.{{Cite journal | last1=Päckert | first1=M. | last2=Hering | first2=J. | last3=Fuchs | first3=E. | last4=Barthel | first4=P. | last5=Heim | first5=W. | date=2014 | title=Genetic barcoding confirms first breeding record of the Yellow Bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis, (Aves: Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae) in the Western Palearctic | journal=Vertebrate Zoology | volume=64 | issue=2 | pages=251–260 | doi=10.3897/vz.64.e31492 | doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal | last1=Hruska | first1=J.P. | last2=Holmes | first2=J. | last3=Oliveros | first3=C. | last4=Shakya | first4=S. | last5=Lavretsky | first5=P. | last6=McCracken | first6=K.G. | last7=Sheldon | first7=F.H. | last8=Moyle | first8=R.G. | date=2023 | title=Ultraconserved elements resolve the phylogeny and corroborate patterns of molecular rate variation in herons (Aves: Ardeidae) | journal=Ornithology | volume=140 | issue=2 | page=ukad005 | doi=10.1093/ornithology/ukad005}} To resolve the non-monophyly the genus Ixobrychus was merged into Botaurus which has priority.{{Cite journal | last1=Chesser | first1=R.T. | last2=Billerman | first2=S.M. | last3=Burns | first3=K.J. | last4=Cicero | first4=C. | last5=Dunn | first5=J.L. | last6=Hernández-Baños | first6=B.E. | last7=Jiménez | first7=R.A. | last8=Johnson | first8=O. | last9=Kratter | first9=A.W. | last10=Mason | first10=N.A. | last11=Rasmussen | first11=P.C. | last12=Remsen | first12=J.V.J. | date=2024 | title=Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds | journal=Ornithology | volume=141 | issue=3 | pages=ukae019 | doi=10.1093/ornithology/ukae019 | doi-access=free }}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=August 2024 | title=Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors | work=IOC World Bird List Version 14.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/raptors/| publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=20 August 2024 }}

The bitterns are large chunky, heavily streaked brown birds which breed in large reed beds. Almost uniquely for predatory birds, the female rears the young alone.{{cite journal | last1= Sibly | first1= Richard M. | last2 = Witt | first2=C.C. | last3=Wright | first3=N.A. | last4=Venditti | first4=C. | last5=Jetz | first5= W. | last6=Brown | first6=J.H. | year= 2012 | title= Energetics, lifestyle, and reproduction in birds | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume=109 | issue= 27 | pages=10937–10941 | doi =10.1073/pnas.1206512109 | doi-access= free | pmid= 22615391 | pmc=3390878 }} They are secretive and well-camouflaged, and despite their size they can be difficult to observe except for occasional flight views. They eat fish, frogs, and similar aquatic life.{{ cite book | last1=Martínez-Vilalta | first1=A. | last2=Motis | first2=A. | year=1992 | chapter=Family Ardeida (Herons) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | title=Handbook of the Cornel | volume=1: Ostrich to Ducks | location=Barcelona, Spain | publisher=Lynx Edicions | isbn=84-87334-10-5 | pages=376–429 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse/page/376/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}

The genus contains 14 species, this includes the New Zealand bittern which is now extinct.

{{Reflist}}

{{Pelecaniformes genera|A.|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q739050}}

{{Authority control}}

*

Category:Bird genera

{{Pelecaniformes-stub}}