American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus: an historic first for Essex
APPENDIX A
Description of the American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus in Saffron Walden Museum
General condition
A mounted specimen with some mite damage to a few of the overlapped upper tail and covert
feathers. Even though it had been exposed to dust and light for an extended period, the general
colouration was good with little evidence of bleaching. The only area of damage was a 2cm by
1.5cm region on the dorsal surface at the base of the neck. After the examination the surgical gloves
were covered in grime.
The specimen has been sympathetically and accurately mounted with appropriate feather positioning
and false eyes. The bird is attached by wires to a circular wooden plate, which is assumed to be the
original mounting. Below this is a crudely cut piece of softwood that looks contemporary. This may
be obscuring any information recorded on the base plate.
Species
The dark brown/black primaries and brownish crown along with chestnut neck and breast streaking
indicated it is an American Bittern.
General description
Crown is a rich dark brown. Belly, chest and lower neck have cinnamon streaks with darker brown
edges interspersed with much creamier bands of feathering. The undertail coverts have longitudinal,
brown streaks also interspersed with cream.
There are a few new looking, shiny, black feathers on the area of the malar stripe on both sides of
neck with slightly more extensive feathering on the right than the left. On the left side on the edge of
the 3 shiny black feathers nearest the bill, I found a new feather at growth stage 2 with waxy sheathing
at its base. Throat is white and extends down to the beginning of the cinnamon lower throat and
breast streaks. It has a cinnamon sub-orbital area extending down the sides of the head above the
black malar feathers.
The upper mantle feathers are chocolate brown centred with buffy cream edges; they extend hal fway
down the mantle. The scapulars are similarly marked. The upper mantle and scapular feathers
appear worn with some gaps visible in the fine feather edging on the distal edges. By contrast the
distal scapulars look fresh, brighter in colour and with a hand lens show no signs of wear.
Primaries 10 and 9 (the only ones that could be readily opened without damaging the specimen) on
the outer wing are lanceolate and bleached, particularly at the tips. There are also clear signs of
wear at the tips and the distal edges. Distal edges of outer secondaries also show signs of wear; this
contrasts with the inner ones that appear brighter and fresher. Tertials on the left wing appear
missing; those on the right are worn and lanceolate.
The lesser and median coverts have warmish brown centres edged with a middle darker brown area
edged in pale brown. Under a hand lens the distal edges of the lesser and median coverts show signs
of wear. This is not immediately evident with the naked eye.
The upper tarsi, undertail and lower flank feathers look quite worn and matt. On some of the overlapped
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 19 (2002)
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