- Cochlearius cochlearius
Identification
45–53·5 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
Immature
- Brown upperparts
- Brown-tinged whitish underparts
- No crest
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.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Five subspecies recognized[1]:
- C. c. cochlearius White-breasted:
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:
- C. c. zeledoni:
- Western-central Mexico
Habitat
Swamps, marshes and lakes with dense bushes and trees.
Behaviour
These are nocturnal birds which roost in large colonies by day but are solitary night hunters.
Diet
The diet includes fish, shrimps, crustaceans and insects.
The only heron species that catches its prey by scooping rather than spearing.
Breeding
It builds a twig nest; the clutch consists of 2-4 bluish white eggs.
Vocalisation
Call: a deep croak and a high-pitched pee-pee-pee.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Boat-billed Heron. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Boat-billed_Heron
External Links
