(Explored 9/13/13 lowest #196)
Image taken on one of the small tributaries of the Cuiaba River in Brazil. Most of the tributary was choked with thousands of water lilies. The boat had to cut thru them to take us down to a clear area of water where we found this rufescent tiger heron and a jacamar.
Though diligent and quiet, observers may encounter this reclusive heron standing still along sluggish streams and backwater swamps, and it is considered uncommon to rare through much of its range. The adult heron has two stripes down the white front area of the neck, like tiger stripes. Adult Rufescent Tiger-Herons are easily separated from the other species of tiger-heron by their rich rufous upperparts, especially the head and neck. Generally, immature tiger-herons are best left unidentified. With some practice, however, immature Rufescent Tiger-Herons may be identified by their more rufous head and neck. The shorter and stouter bill may also be a useful field mark, though this requires prior experience with all three species.
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Ardeidae
These birds are found from southern Guatemala down to Ecuador, Brazil, northern Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina.
They are 66-76 cm long and weigh 800-900 g.
Rufescent tiger-herons are found in a wide range of inland wetlands, including bogs, marshes, rivers, lakes, swamps, fens and peatlands, but also in mangroves and swamp forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m. They mostly forage at dusk and night, feeding on fishes, amphibians, reptiles and insects including grasshoppers, water beetles and dragonfly larvae. Rufescent tiger-herons build solitary nests in tall trees, consisting of large platforms of sticks. There the female lays 2-3 eggs which she incubates alone for 31-34 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 4-5 weeks after hatching.
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common, at least in Brazil. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes, but overall it is not considered threatened at present.
You can see more of my Brazil images in the Brazil 2012 set.
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