Boat-billed Heron
Cochlearius cochlearius
The Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) is a uncommon herons, egrets, and bittern found in 20 countries, weighing about 643 g. The boat-billed heron, colloquially known as the boatbill, is an atypical member of the heron family.
About the Boat-billed Heron
The boat-billed heron, colloquially known as the boatbill, is an atypical member of the heron family. It is the only member of the genus Cochlearius and was formerly placed in a monotypic family, the Cochleariidae. It lives in mangrove swamps from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil. It is a nocturnal bird, and breeds semi-colonially in mangrove trees, laying two to four bluish-white eggs in a twig nest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The boat-billed heron grows to about 54 cm (21 in) long. Adults are pale grey to white in color, with chestnut-colored abdomens and black flanks. The massive, broad, scoop-like bill, which gives rise to this species' name, is mainly black. This bird is also adorned with a crest which is thought to be used in mate attraction as it is larger in males. The sexes are similar in appearance, the main differences being that females are slightly smaller, grayer in appearance, and have shorter crests than males.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Boat-billed Heron?
- The boat-billed heron grows to about 54 cm (21 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Boat-billed Heron?
- The Boat-billed Heron is a large sized bird weighing about 643 g.
- Where can you see a Boat-billed Heron?
- The Boat-billed Heron occurs in 20 countries, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, Brazil and Panama.
- What birds look similar to a Boat-billed Heron?
- The Boat-billed Heron is most easily confused with the Goliath Heron, the Malayan Night Heron and the Western Reef Heron.
- Is the Boat-billed Heron endangered?
- The Boat-billed Heron is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Boat-billed Heron for real
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