black bittern

The black bittern was formally described in 1790 by the English ornithologist John Latham under the binomial name Ardea flavicollis. He used the English name "yellow-necked heron" and specified the type locality as India.{{cite book| last=Latham | first=John | author-link=John Latham (ornithologist) | year=1790 | title=Index Ornithologicus, Sive Systema Ornithologiae: Complectens Avium Divisionem In Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Ipsarumque Varietates | volume=2 | language=Latin | location=London | publisher = Leigh & Sotheby | page=701 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53510126 }}{{ 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 | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | pages=241–242 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108881 }} The black bittern was formerly placed in the genus Ixobrychus but when a molecular phylogenetic study of the heron family Ardeidae published in 2023 found that Ixobrychus was paraphyletic, Ixobrychus was merged into the genus Botaurus that had been introduced in 1819 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens.{{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 | pages=ukad005 | doi=10.1093/ornithology/ukad005}}{{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=Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans | work=IOC World Bird List Version 14.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/pelicans/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=20 August 2024 }}{{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 }} The genus name Botaurus is Medieval Latin for a bittern. The specific epithet flavicollis combines Latin flavidus meaning "yellowish" with Modern Latin -collis meaning "-throated".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n75/mode/1up 75], [https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n161/mode/1up 161]}}

Three subspecies are recognised:

• B. f. flavicollis (Latham, 1790) – India to Indochina, Philippines and west, central Indonesia
• B. f. australis (Lesson, RP, 1831) – east Indonesia, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago and Australia
• B. f. woodfordi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1888) – Bougainville Island to Rennell Island (north to south Solomon Islands, except Makira)

It is a medium sized bittern at {{cvt|54|-|66|cm}} in length. It has dark upperparts with a dark bill. The male is black above with buff neck sides and with a neck is heavily streaked with brown. The female is dark brown rather than black. The juvenile is like the female but paler. They can be difficult to see, given their skulking lifestyle and reed bed habitat, but tend to fly fairly frequently when the all black upperparts makes them unmistakable.{{ cite book | last1=Rasmussen | first1=Pamela C. | author1-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | last2=Anderton | first2=John C. | year=2012 | title=Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide | volume=2: Attributes and Status | edition=2nd | publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions | location=Washington D.C. and Barcelona | isbn=978-84-96553-87-3 | page=62 }}

Their breeding habitat is reed beds. They nest on platforms of reeds in shrubs, or sometimes in trees. Three to five eggs are laid. The chicks are covered with white down with brown patches. They first wander from their nest when aged around 15 days.{{ 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 [427] | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse/page/427/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}

Black bitterns feed on frogs, fish up to 15cm in length, crustacea and insects. They are crepuscular and nocturnal, mainly feeding at dusk and at dawk.

Black bitterns are not listed as threatened on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. In the state of State of Victoria, Australia, the black bittern is listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988).[http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/EADA0F1874AF9CF24A2567C1001020A388BBA5581CF9D859CA256BB300271BDB Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718182613/http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/EADA0F1874AF9CF24A2567C1001020A388BBA5581CF9D859CA256BB300271BDB |date=July 18, 2005 }} Under this act, an Action Statement for the recovery and future management of this species has not yet been prepared.[http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/617768308BCB666E4A25684E00192281E7A24BB36FF60A144A256DEA00244294 Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911130015/http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/617768308BCB666E4A25684E00192281E7A24BB36FF60A144A256DEA00244294 |date=September 11, 2006 }} On the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria, the black bittern is listed as vulnerable.{{cite book | author = Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment | title = Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria - 2007 | publisher = Department of Sustainability and Environment | year = 2007 | location = East Melbourne, Victoria | pages = 15 | isbn = 978-1-74208-039-0 }}

File:Black Bittern (Dupetor flavicollis) in Kinnarsani WS, AP W IMG 6108.jpg|In Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana, India

File:Black Bittern (Dupetor flavicollis) in Kinnarsani WS, AP W2 IMG 6115.jpg|In Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana, India

File:Black Bittern I IMG 5080.jpg|In Kolkata, West Bengal, India

File:Black Bittern.jpg|In Kolkata, West Bengal, India

File:Black Bittern (Dupetor flavicollis) in flight in Kolkata W.jpg|In flight in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

File:BlackBittern.jpg|Black bittern with frog catch at Chilika, Odisha

File:Black bittern in its habitat.jpg|In its natural habitat from wetlands of Ernakuam, Kerala, India

==References==

{{Reflist}}

• Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, {{ISBN|0-691-04910-6}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q888559}}

black bittern

black bittern

Category:Birds of Indomalaya

Category:Birds of Oceania

black bittern