Botaurus
Sign in to saveBotaurus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading birds from the heron family Ardeidae. The genus includes species that were previously placed in the genus Ixobrychus.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderPelecaniformes
- FamilyArdeidae
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Botaurinae
- Image
- Bittern - Botaurus stellaris.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- P105
- genus
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Article
3 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Species
- References
Botaurus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading birds from the heron family Ardeidae. The genus includes species that were previously placed in the genus Ixobrychus.
==Taxonomy== The genus Botaurus was introduced in 1819 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens. Stephens did not specify the type species but this was designated as Ardea stellaris Linnaeus (Eurasian bittern) by George Gray in 1840. The name Botaurus is Medieval Latin for a bittern. The word combines Latin bos meaning "oxen" (compare butire "to boom") and taurus meaning "bull". 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: ...".