Alternative name: Chestnut-bellied Heron
- Agamia agami
Identification
L. 66-76cm
- A medium-sized heron
- Short-legged
- Very long, thin bill
- Chestnut neck and underparts
- White line down the center of the foreneck
- Green wings
- Pale blue plumes on head, sides of foreneck, and lower back
- Dull yellow legs, bill and facial skin
A beautiful and unmistakable bird, the sexes are similar
Immature
- Largely brown upperparts
- White foreneck
- Streaked brown and white underparts
Distribution
Central and South America: Found in tropical southern Mexico to northern Bolivia and western Amazonian Brazil.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1] in a monotypic genus.
Habitat
Forest streams and wetlands.
Behaviour
Very shy and rarely seen in the open.
Breeding
They nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in trees over water which may gather more than 100 nests (Fleck 2003). The normal clutch is two blue eggs.
Diet
Stalk their fish prey in shaded shallow water, often standing still or moving very slowly. They rarely wade in open water.
Vocalisation
This is a quiet bird, but pairs and family groups may make various snoring or rattling sounds.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Agami Heron. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Agami_Heron
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
