Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Tigrisoma mexicanum
The Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) is a uncommon herons, egrets, and bittern found in 11 countries, weighing about 1.2 kg. The bare-throated tiger heron 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.
About the Bare-throated Tiger Heron
The bare-throated tiger heron 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 (31 in) in length and weighs 1,200 g (42 oz).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The throat is bare and is greenish-yellow to orange in all plumages. The adult has black crown and light grey sides of the head, the sides of the neck and the upperparts otherwise blackish narrowly barred buff. The median stripe down the fore-neck 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.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.
When to see it
The Bare-throated Tiger Heron can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Bare-throated Tiger Heron?
- The throat is bare and is greenish-yellow to orange in all plumages. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Bare-throated Tiger Heron?
- The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is a large sized bird weighing about 1.2 kg.
- Where can you see a Bare-throated Tiger Heron?
- The Bare-throated Tiger Heron occurs in 11 countries, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala.
- What birds look similar to a Bare-throated Tiger Heron?
- The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is most easily confused with the Rufescent Tiger Heron and the Fasciated Tiger Heron.
- Is the Bare-throated Tiger Heron endangered?
- The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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