American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus (Rackett, 1813) AM AMEBI 960
Family: Pelecaniformes > Ardeidae

A little smaller than our Bittern, this less than annual visitor from North America is mostly encountered in late autumn.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the American Bittern

  • Breeding
  • Winter

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

American Bittern winter distribution 2008-11
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

SEASONALITY

American Bittern is a very rare vagrant recorded a handful of times in spring and winter.

Weekly occurence of American Bittern from BirdTrack
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about American Bittern, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Welsh: Aderyn Bwn America
Catalan: bitó nord-americà
Czech: bukac severoamerický
Danish: Amerikansk Rørdrum
Dutch: Noord-Amerikaanse Roerdomp
Estonian: habehüüp
Finnish: amerikankaulushaikara
French: Butor d’Amérique
German: Nordamerikanische Rohrdommel
Hungarian: amerikai bölömbika
Icelandic: Reyrþvari
Irish: Bonnán Meiriceánach
Italian: Tarabuso americano
Latvian: Amerikas dumpis
Lithuanian: Šiaures Amerikos baublys
Norwegian: Amerikarørdrum
Polish: bak amerykanski
Portuguese: abetouro-americano
Slovak: buciak hnedokrký
Slovenian: severnoameriška bobnarica
Spanish: Avetoro lentiginoso
Swedish: amerikansk rördrom

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