ABSTRACT
The Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a species of conservation concern in the UK and is a flagship for the conservation of wetland habitats in the country. Although bittern conservation is largely driven by scientific management programmes, the bird has had a strong presence in the public sphere as well. This chapter traces cultural associations of the Great Bittern and outlines a history of its conservation in the UK in order to unpack how bittern conservation reflects and maintains particular English ethnicities. Folk associations, aspects of charisma and traditions within practice play an important role in shaping conservation, and they are not entirely expunged from the contemporary domain. This allows us to locate the ‘ethnic’ in Western bio-cultural conservation settings and broadens the scope of ethno-ornithology to delve into practices that might not be traditionally viewed as ethnic. It provides new insights to practitioners and enables a more reflexive understanding of contemporary bird conservation.
