American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus: an historic first for Essex
NICK GREEN
40 Gloucester Crescent, Christy Court, Chelmsford CM1 4NG
note from the editors
Details of an historic and very important Essex record of American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus are
given, and its ultimate acceptance by the BOURC is testament to the depth and complexity of the
painstaking research undertaken by the author. Although this paper is unlike our usual publications
we publish it here to ensure that the record will never again descend into the obscurity of time.
Introduction
As part of the fact-checking process for the new, forthcoming Birds of Essex book, Simon Wood, the
Senior Editor, thought we should be researching the bird specimens in all local museums to confirm
that the original identification was correct and to check the history where possible. Simon Wood,
Russell Neave and myself therefore arranged a visit with Sarah Kenyon, the Natural Sciences
Curatorial Officer, to the Saffron Walden Museum on 12lh December 1999.
The first specimen presented to us was definitely a Bittern Botaurus stellaris, but the second gave us
a shock, as it was immediately identified as an American Bittern B. lentiginosus. The base consists
of a (original?) circular plate fixed onto a square wooden base in the 20th century, all painted green
(some paint on the specimen's toes) with white paint showing beneath where chipped (see photo
below, © Saffron Walden Museum). On the very bottom of the base is written in pencil 'American
Bittern (Wenden)'. On the right leg, a small label denotes an accession number 'NB 135'. The paper
label stuck to the front of the base is from the 20th century and denotes:
AMERICAN BITTERN
Botaurus lentiginosus (MONTAGU)
WENDEN 1826
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 19 (2002)
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