Dwarf bittern

Dwarf bittern
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Pelecaniformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Genus:	Botaurus
Species:	B. sturmii
Binomial name
	Botaurus sturmii; (Wagler, 1827)
	Range of B. sturmii Breeding range Year-round range

The dwarf bittern (Botaurus sturmii) is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae that is widely distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa avoiding only the very arid regions. This species was formerly placed in the genus Ixobrychus.

Taxonomy

The dwarf bittern was formally described in 1827 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler under the binomial name Ardea sturmii. He specified the type locality as Senegambia. The specific epithet was chosen to honour the German bird artist Johann Sturm who had provided Wagler with a specimen.^[2]^[3] The dwarf bittern was formerly placed in the genus Ixobrychus.^[4] Molecular genetic studies found that this genus was paraphyletic with respect to Botaurus.^[5]^[6] To resolve the non-monophyly the genus Ixobrychus was merged into Botaurus which has priority.^[7]^[8] The species is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.^[8]

Distribution

It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain (the Canary Islands), Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.^[1] It is a rare vagrant in the Western Palearctic (which consists of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East), with several sightings in the Canary Islands.^[9] Two individual were observed on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands in the winter of 2017.^[10]

Description

It is a small bittern, and the same size as the little bittern, to which it is closely related.

Conservation

It is designated least concern.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c BirdLife International. (2016). "Ixobrychus sturmii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697327A93608515. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697327A93608515.en. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^ Wagler, Johann Georg (1827). Systema Avium (in Latin). Stuttgart: sumtibus J.G. Cottae. Species 37 [p. 191].
^ Jobling, James A. "sturmii". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 241.
^ Päckert, M.; Hering, J.; Fuchs, E.; Barthel, P.; Heim, W. (2014). "Genetic barcoding confirms first breeding record of the Yellow Bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis, (Aves: Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae) in the Western Palearctic". Vertebrate Zoology. 64 (2): 251–260. doi:10.3897/vz.64.e31492.
^ Hruska, J.P.; Holmes, J.; Oliveros, C.; Shakya, S.; Lavretsky, P.; McCracken, K.G.; Sheldon, F.H.; Moyle, R.G. (2023). "Ultraconserved elements resolve the phylogeny and corroborate patterns of molecular rate variation in herons (Aves: Ardeidae)". Ornithology. 140 (2): ukad005. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukad005.
^ Chesser, R.T.; Billerman, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Hernández-Baños, B.E.; Jiménez, R.A.; Johnson, O.; Kratter, A.W.; Mason, N.A.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.J. (2024). "Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds". Ornithology. 141 (3): ukae019. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukae019.
^ ^a ^b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
^ Svensson, Lars (2009). "Vagrants". Collins Bird Guide (2nd ed.). HarperCollins. p. 409. ISBN 9780007268146.
^ Kratzer, Daniel; Liundy, Vernon; Ławicki, Łukasz (January 2018). "Two Dwarf Bitterns on Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, in winter of 2017/18". Dutch Birding. 40 (2): 98–101. Retrieved 30 April 2020.

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[iucn-1] BirdLife International. (2016). "Ixobrychus sturmii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697327A93608515. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697327A93608515.en. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[2] Wagler, Johann Georg (1827). Systema Avium (in Latin). Stuttgart: sumtibus J.G. Cottae. Species 37 [p. 191].

[3] Jobling, James A. "sturmii". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 27 February 2025.

[4] Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 241.

[5] Päckert, M.; Hering, J.; Fuchs, E.; Barthel, P.; Heim, W. (2014). "Genetic barcoding confirms first breeding record of the Yellow Bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis, (Aves: Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae) in the Western Palearctic". Vertebrate Zoology. 64 (2): 251–260. doi:10.3897/vz.64.e31492.

[6] Hruska, J.P.; Holmes, J.; Oliveros, C.; Shakya, S.; Lavretsky, P.; McCracken, K.G.; Sheldon, F.H.; Moyle, R.G. (2023). "Ultraconserved elements resolve the phylogeny and corroborate patterns of molecular rate variation in herons (Aves: Ardeidae)". Ornithology. 140 (2): ukad005. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukad005.

[7] Chesser, R.T.; Billerman, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Hernández-Baños, B.E.; Jiménez, R.A.; Johnson, O.; Kratter, A.W.; Mason, N.A.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.J. (2024). "Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds". Ornithology. 141 (3): ukae019. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukae019.

[ioc-8] Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 27 February 2025.

[9] Svensson, Lars (2009). "Vagrants". Collins Bird Guide (2nd ed.). HarperCollins. p. 409. ISBN 9780007268146.

[10] Kratzer, Daniel; Liundy, Vernon; Ławicki, Łukasz (January 2018). "Two Dwarf Bitterns on Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, in winter of 2017/18". Dutch Birding. 40 (2): 98–101. Retrieved 30 April 2020.

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