American Bittern

SCI Name:  Botaurus lentiginosus
Protonym:  Ardea lentiginosa Cat.BirdsSh.Pl.Dorset.[Pulteney].ed.2 ed.2 p.14
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Botaurus
Taxonomy Code:  amebit
Type Locality:  Piddletown, Dorsetshire, England.
Author:  Rackett
Publish Year:  1813
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).

lentiginosa / lentiginosus
L. lentiginosus freckled, dotted < lentigo freckle.