ABSTRACT
The Great Bittern, Botaurus stellaris (hereon: bittern), is a widespread species of the family Ardeidae, occurring from Britain east to China, and from Russia south to Turkey (Kushlan and Hafner, 2000). Although not globally threatened, the bittern has an unfavourable conservation status in Europe, and especially in Britain, where the number of breeding males declined from 70 in the 1970s to fewer than 20 in the 1990s, leading to its inclusion in the list of UK Birds of Conservation Concern (Tucker and Heath, 1994; Gilbert et al, 2002; Gregory et al, 2002). Despite its rarity, cryptic plumage and secretive nature, the bittern has a high profile and is a favourite of the press and public (Gilbert et al, 2005). Its threatened status and popular appeal have made it an ideal flagship species for the preservation and restoration of wetland reserves, especially those owned or managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Europe’s largest wildlife conservation charity with a membership of more than 1 million people.
