Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Encyclopedia
The Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Tigrisoma mexicanum, is a wading bird
of the heron
family Ardeidae, found from Mexico
to northwestern Colombia
, with one recorded sighting from the United States
in Hidalgo County, Texas
. It is 80 cm (28–32") in length and weighs 1200 g.
This large species is found in more open habitats than other Tigrisoma herons, such as river and lake banks. It waits often motionless for suitable prey such as fish, frogs or crabs to come within reach of its long bill.
This is a solitary breeder, not normally found in heron colonies. The nest is a small flattish stick platform in a tree into which 2-3 green-tinged white eggs are laid.
s. The adult
has black
crown
and light grey sides of head, the sides of the neck and the upperparts otherwise blackish narrowly barred buff
. The median stripe down the foreneck is white bordered with black; the remaining underparts are dull cinnamon brown. The juvenile is buff coarsely barred with black, more mottled and vermiculated
on wings; the throat, median underparts and belly are whitish.
The flight is heavy, and the call is a hoarse howk-howk-howk. Males also give a booming hrrrowwr! call, especially at sunset. During emission of the call, the beak opens wide and undulations can be seen along the course of the throat from mid-thorax caudally.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
of the heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
family Ardeidae, found from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to northwestern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, with one recorded sighting from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Hidalgo County, Texas
Hidalgo County, Texas
Hidalgo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Hidalgo County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and is the seventh most-populous county in Texas. Its population in 2010 was 774,769, a 35% increase from 2000...
. It is 80 cm (28–32") in length and weighs 1200 g.
This large species is found in more open habitats than other Tigrisoma herons, such as river and lake banks. It waits often motionless for suitable prey such as fish, frogs or crabs to come within reach of its long bill.
This is a solitary breeder, not normally found in heron colonies. The nest is a small flattish stick platform in a tree into which 2-3 green-tinged white eggs are laid.
Description
The throat is bare and is greenish-yellow to orange in all plumagePlumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
s. The adult
Adult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
has black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
crown
Crown (anatomy)
A crown is the top of the head.The following birds and other animals are said to have a crown on their head:* Cranes** Grey-crowned Crane** Red-crowned Crane** Black-crowned Crane* Crowned eagle* Gray-crowned Rosy Finch* Yellow-crowned Gonolek...
and light grey sides of head, the sides of the neck and the upperparts otherwise blackish narrowly barred buff
Buff
Buff may refer to:* Buff , a pale yellow-brown colour* Buff , a multifunctional article of clothing produced by Original Buff, a Catalan company* Buff * A form of Status effect, a temporary beneficial effect in some video games...
. The median stripe down the foreneck is white bordered with black; the remaining underparts are dull cinnamon brown. The juvenile is buff coarsely barred with black, more mottled and vermiculated
Vermiculated
Vermiculated means covered with a dense but irregular pattern of lines, as though made by worm-tracks; the word derives frrom the Latin for worm...
on wings; the throat, median underparts and belly are whitish.
The flight is heavy, and the call is a hoarse howk-howk-howk. Males also give a booming hrrrowwr! call, especially at sunset. During emission of the call, the beak opens wide and undulations can be seen along the course of the throat from mid-thorax caudally.