Agami Heron
Encyclopedia
The Agami Heron is a medium-sized heron
. It is a resident breeding bird
from Central America
south to Peru
and Brazil
.
It is sometimes known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron, and is the only member of the genus Agamia (Reichenbach
, 1853).
The Agami Heron's habitat is forest swamps and similar wooded wetlands. 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.
This uncommon and localised species is 66–76 cm in length. It is short-legged for a heron, but has a very long thin bill. This is a beautiful and unmistakable bird. The neck and underparts are chestnut, with a white line down the centre of the foreneck, and the wings are green. There are wispy pale blue feathers decorating the head, sides of the foreneck, and lower back. The legs, bill, and bare facial patch are dull yellow.
The sexes are similar, but immature Agami Herons are largely brown above with a white foreneck, and streaked brown-and-white underparts.
Despite its stunning plumage, this reclusive species' preference for shade and overhanging vegetation means that it is rarely seen at its best.
This is a quiet bird, but pairs and family groups may make various snoring or rattling sounds.
Agami Herons stalk their fish
prey in shaded shallow water, often standing still or moving very slowly. They rarely wade in open water. They also take frogs, small reptiles, and snails.
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"....
. It is a resident breeding bird
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...
from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
south to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
It is sometimes known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron, and is the only member of the genus Agamia (Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
, 1853).
This uncommon and localised species is 66–76 cm in length. It is short-legged for a heron, but has a very long thin bill. This is a beautiful and unmistakable bird. The neck and underparts are chestnut, with a white line down the centre of the foreneck, and the wings are green. There are wispy pale blue feathers decorating the head, sides of the foreneck, and lower back. The legs, bill, and bare facial patch are dull yellow.
The sexes are similar, but immature Agami Herons are largely brown above with a white foreneck, and streaked brown-and-white underparts.
Despite its stunning plumage, this reclusive species' preference for shade and overhanging vegetation means that it is rarely seen at its best.
This is a quiet bird, but pairs and family groups may make various snoring or rattling sounds.
Agami Herons stalk their fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
prey in shaded shallow water, often standing still or moving very slowly. They rarely wade in open water. They also take frogs, small reptiles, and snails.
External links
- Agami Heron videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Images from Brazil
- Stamps (for SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
) with RangeMap - Agami Heron photo gallery VIREO
- Photo; Article sunbirdtours
- Photo--Very High Res; Article turtleprotection.org
- "The Agami Heron" article & Photo--Medium Res—"Birds-Belize"
