Botaurus Stellaris Bird

English Name:  Great Bittern
Latin Name:  Botaurus stellaris
Protonym:  Ardea stellaris Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.144
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Botaurus
Taxonomy Code:  grebit1
Type Locality:  Europe; restricted to Sweden by Linnaeus, 1761, Fauna Svecica, ed. 2, p. 58.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

BOTAURUS
(Ardeidae; † Great Bittern B. stellaris) Med. L. butaurus, bootaurus, butor, butorus and botor  bittern  < Mid. English Botor bittern  < Old French Butor  bittern  < L. bos  oxen (cf. butire  to boom); taurus  bull; "At this period [April] the male makes a singular noise, which is compared to the deep bellowing of a bull, and is continued for about two months" (Stephens 1819); "BOTAURUS.  BITTERN.   ...   THE Bitterns are distinguished from the Herons by the superior thickness of the neck, which in these is very amply clothed with downy elongated feathers, which the bird has the faculty of elevating at pleasure: their plumage is generally either spotted or striped: they resemble the Herons in their principal habits, residing in marshy situations, and feeding upon aquatic animals.    COMMON BITTERN.  (Botaurus stellaris.)   ...    FRECKLED BITTERN.  (Botaurus lentiginosus.)   ...   ZIGZAG BITTERN.  (Botaurus undulatus.)   ...   TIGER BITTERN.  (Botaurus tigrinus.)   ...   LINEATED BITTERN.  (Botaurus lineatus.)   ...   BRASILIAN BITTERN.  (Botaurus Brasiliensis.)   ...   YELLOW BITTERN.  (Botaurus flavus.)   ...   SENEGAL BITTERN.  (Botaurus Senegalensis.)   ...   GREEN BITTERN.  (Botaurus virescens.)" (Stephens 1819); "Botaurus Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zoöl., 11, pt. 2, 1819, p. 592. Type, by subsequent designation, Ardea stellaris Linné. (Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 66.)" (Peters, 1931, I, p. 124).   
Var. Butaurus, Bostaurus, Botauris.   
Synon. Butor, Erogas.

botaurus
Med. L. butaurus, bootaurus, butor, butorus and botor  bittern  < Mid. English Botor bittern  < Old French Butor  bittern  < L. bos  oxen (cf. butire  to boom); taurus  bull.
● ex “Greater Speckled or Red Heron” of Ray 1713, “Botaurus major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand Butor” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Greater Bittern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ardea purpurea, syn. Botaurus stellaris).

stellaris
L. stellaris  starred  < stella  star.
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  stellaris.  16. A. capite læviusculo, supra testacea maculis transversis, subtus pallidior maculis oblongis fuscis.  Ardea vertice nigro, pectore pallido maculis longitudinalibus nigricantibus. Fn. svec. 134.  Ardea stellaris minor. Gesn av. 215. Aldr. orn. l. 20. c. 16. Will. orn. 207. t. 50. 52. Raj. av. 100. n. 11. Mars. danub. 5. p. 16. t. 6. Alb. av. 1. p. 65. t. 68.  Habitat in Europa.  Venatus falconibus magnatibus placet; Mugitus stentorii impares; terrefacta spiraliter æthera scandis." (Linnaeus 1758) (Botaurus).
● ex “Étoilé” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 157, and “Starry Fly-catcher” of Latham 1823 (syn. Pogonocichla stellata).

SUBSPECIES

Great Bittern (stellaris)
Latin Name: Botaurus stellaris stellaris
stellaris
L. stellaris  starred  < stella  star.
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  stellaris.  16. A. capite læviusculo, supra testacea maculis transversis, subtus pallidior maculis oblongis fuscis.  Ardea vertice nigro, pectore pallido maculis longitudinalibus nigricantibus. Fn. svec. 134.  Ardea stellaris minor. Gesn av. 215. Aldr. orn. l. 20. c. 16. Will. orn. 207. t. 50. 52. Raj. av. 100. n. 11. Mars. danub. 5. p. 16. t. 6. Alb. av. 1. p. 65. t. 68.  Habitat in Europa.  Venatus falconibus magnatibus placet; Mugitus stentorii impares; terrefacta spiraliter æthera scandis." (Linnaeus 1758) (Botaurus).
● ex “Étoilé” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 157, and “Starry Fly-catcher” of Latham 1823 (syn. Pogonocichla stellata).

Great Bittern (capensis)
Latin Name: Botaurus stellaris capensis
capense / capensis
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa (originally named Cabo das Tormentas Cape of Storms, by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, it was renamed Cabo de Boa Esperança by João II King of Portugal in 1490 to reflect the optimism engendered by his country's explorations).
● ex “Cape Wigeon” of Latham 1785 (Anas).
● ex “Petite Mésange du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Sonnerat 1782, “Petit Deuil” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Cape-Titmouse” of Latham 1783 (syn. Anthoscopus minutus).
● "113. MUSCICAPA.  ...  capensis.  16. M. fuscus, subtus alba, pectore nigro, fascia alarum rufa, rectricibus apice albis. Briss. av. 2. p. 372. t. 36. f. 3.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei.  Latera abdominis rufa. Tectrices alarum majores apice rufæ. Rectrices nigræ, apice albæ: extima latere exteriore alba." (Linnaeus 1766) (Batis).
● ex “Grand Duc” of Levaillant 1799, pl. 40 (unident.;?syn. Bubo capensis).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= Cayenne); "56. BUCCO.  ...  capensis.  1. B. rufus, fascia humerali fulva, pectorali nigra.  Bucco. Briss. av. 4. p. 92. t. 6. f. 2.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei.  Cauda rotundata rectricibus 10." (Linnaeus 1766) (Bucco).
● ex “Sirli du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Certhilauda curvirostris).
● ex “Corneille du Cap” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 52 (Corvus).
● ex “Coucou du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 390, and “Cape Cuckow” of Latham 1782 (syn. Cuculus solitarius).
● "65. CERTHIA.  ...  capensis.  4. C. grisea, rectricibus nigricantibus: extima exterius albo fimbriata. Briss. av. 3. p. 618. t. 31. f. 1.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (unident.; ?syn. Cyanomitra olivacea).
● Seas off the Cape of Good Hope (“Said by sailors to be a sure presage of a near approach to that promontory” (Latham 1785)); "64. PROCELLARIA.  ...  capensis.  3. P. albo fuscoque varia. Amœn. acad. 4. p.  . . Osb. it. 76  Anas alia indica. Gesn. av. 803. t. 804. f. 2.  Peteril media maculata. Edw. av. 90. t. 90. f. 2.  Habitat ad Cap. b. Spei." (Linnaeus 1758) (Daption).
● ex “Pic à tête grise du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 786, fig. 2, and “Cape Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● "110. EMBERIZA.  ...  capensis.  9. E. grisea, gula albida, fascia oculari maxillarumque nigricante.  Hortulanus capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 3. p. 230. t. 14. f. 4.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Emberiza).
● "109. LOXIA.  ...  capensis.  39. L. atra, uropygio tectricibusque alarum luteis.  Fringilla capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 3. p. 171. t. 16. f. 1.  Habitat ad Caput b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Euplectes).
● ex “Montagnard” of Levaillant 1798, pl. 35 (syn. Falco rupicolus).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= Cayenne); ex “Petite perruche au Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-17781, pl. 455, fig. 1, “Perruche aux ailes bleues” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Blue-winged Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Forpus passerinus).
● Erroneous TL. Madagascar, Réunion and Cape of Good Hope (= Réunion); ex “Huppe du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 697, “Huppe noire et blanche du cap de bonne espérance” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Madagascar Hoopoe” of Latham 1782 (‡syn. Fregilupus varius).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= India); "106. STURNUS.  ...  capensis.  2. S. nigricans, capitis lateribus subtusque albus.  Sturnus capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 2. p. 446. t. 41. f. 3.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei. An varietas S. contræ?  Macula alarum & uropygium alba. Rostrum basi flavescens, apice rufescens. Pedes lutei." (Linnaeus 1766) (syn. Gracupica contra).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= Cayenne); ex “Carouge du Cap de Bonne Espérance” (= ♀) of Brisson 1760, and “Carouge de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 343 (syn. Icterus spurius).
● "105. ALAUDA.  ...  capensis.  8. A. rectricibus tribus lateralibus apice albis, gula lutea nigro marginata, superciliis flavis.  Alauda capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 3. p. 364. t. 19. f. 3.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Macronyx).
● "114. MOTACILLA. ...  capensis.  24. M. fusca, subtus albida, fascia pectorali fusca, superciliis albis, rectricibus lateralibus oblique albis.  Motacilla capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 3. p. 476. t. 25. f. 3.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Motacilla).
● "104. COLUMBA.  ...  capensis.  39. C. macroura, cauda cuneata, remigibus primoribus latere interiore rufis.  Turtur capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 1. p. 120. t. 9. f. 2.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei.  Corpus griseo-fuscum. Alæ macula chalybis splendentis. Maris jugulum atrum. Rostrum & Pedes rubra." (Linnaeus 1766) (Oena).
● ex “Traquet Montagnard” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 184, fig. 2 (syn. Oenanthe monticola).
● ex “Loriot Coudougnan” of Levaillant 1808, pll. 261, 262 (syn. Oriolus larvatus).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= Java); ex “Martin-pescheur du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Brisson 1760 (Pelargopsis).
● ex “Jaboteur” of Levaillant 1801 (syn. Phyllastrephus terrestris).
● "52. ORIOLUS.  ...  capensis.  18. O. fusco-olivaceus, subtus luteus.  Xanthornus capitis b. spei. Briss. av. 2. p. 128.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Ploceus).
● Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia (syn. Podargus strigoides phalaenoides, syn. Sericornis magnirostris dubius).
● ex “Cape Partridge” of Latham 1783 (Pternistis).
● "107. TURDUS.  ...  capensis.  17. T. nigricans, abdomine subflavescente, crisso luteo.  Merula fusca cap. b. spei. Briss. av. 2. p. 259. t. 27. f. 3.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei." (Linnaeus 1766) (Pycnonotus).
● "86. SCOPOLAX [sic].  ...  capensis.  14. S. rostro recto lineaque verticis rufescentibus, fascia pectorali nigra, linea utrinque dorsali alba.  Gallinago capitis b. spei. Briss. app. 141. t. 6.  Habitat ad Cap. b. spei.  Dorsum cinereum, nigro undulatum. Lineola albido-rufescens a rostro ad occiput. Orbitæ albæ postice in fasciam productæ. Collum antice rufum. Pectus fascia nigra, a qua fascia alba utrinque per dorsum ducta ad uropygium. Abdomen album. Pedes nigri." (Linnaeus 1766) (syn. Rostratula benghalensis).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à collier du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 572, fig. 2 (syn. Saxicola torquata).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= South Island, New Zealand) (‡Turnagra).
● Erroneous TL. Cape of Good Hope (= Cayenne); ex “Bruant du Cap de Bonne-Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 386, fig. 2 (Zonotrichia).
● ex “Orange-bellied Manakin” of Latham 1783 (unident.).