From Opus

Cochlearius cochlearius

Photo by gritstone
Ecocentro Danaus Biological Reserve, Costa Rica, March 2007

[edit] Identification

54 cm

• Black crown, long crest and upper back
• White face, throat and breast
• Rufous lower underparts
• Black flanks
• Pale gray wings and lower back
• Black broad scoop-like bill
  

Sub-adult
Photo by Steve G
Palo Verde, Costa Rica, July 2008

Immature

• Brown upperparts
• Brown-tinged whitish underparts
• No crest

[edit] Distribution

Central and South America. Mexico - ranges from Sinaloa in the west and southern Tamaulipas, south to Panama and northern Colombia and Venezuela, east to the Guianas and north-east Brazil. Occurs throughout Amazonia from Peru eastwards and south to southern Brazil and north-east Argentina.
Probably resident with perhaps some local wandering.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Five subspecies recognized:

• C. c. cochlearius White-breasted:

• Eastern Panama to the Guianas, Amazon basin and north-eastern Argentina
  

Darker-breasted races occur further north:

• C. c. panamensis:

• Panama and southern Costa Rica

• C. c. ridgwayi:

• Tropical southern Mexico to western Honduras and El Salvador

• C. c. phillipsi:

• Tropical eastern Mexico and Belize

• C. c. zeledoni:

• Western-central Mexico

[edit] Habitat

Swamps, marshes and lakes with dense bushes and trees.

[edit] Behaviour

These are nocturnal birds which roost in large colonies by day but are solitary night hunters.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes fish, crustaceans and insects.
The only heron species that catches its prey by scooping rather than spearing.

[edit] Breeding

It builds a twig nest and 2-4 bluish white eggs are laid.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: a deep croak and a high-pitched pee-pee-pee.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links