| Bitterns | |
|---|---|
 | |
| American bittern | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Subfamily: | Botaurinae Reichenbach, 1850 |
| Genera | |
Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamilyBotaurinae of the heron familyArdeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were calledhæferblæte and various iterations ofraredumla inOld English; the word "bittern" came to English fromOld Frenchbutor, itself from Gallo-Romanbutitaurus, a compound ofLatinbūtiō (buzzard) andtaurus (bull).[1]
Bitterns usually frequentreed beds and similar marshy areas and feed onamphibians,reptiles,insects, andfish.
Bitterns, like herons, egrets, and pelicans, fly with their necks retracted, unlike thecranes,storks,ibises,spoonbills, andgeese which fly with necks extended and outstretched. The genusIxobrychus was recently found to be paraphyletic with theBotaurus genus, andIxobrychus was then merged intoBotaurus.
There are currently 14 extant species divided into two genera within Botaurinae:
| Image | Genus | Living species |
|---|---|---|
.jpg) | BotaurusStephens, 1819 |
|
 | ZebrilusBonaparte, 1855 |
|
