Lava Heron

Butorides sundevalli

Not Evaluated · IUCN Red List

NENot EvaluatedEndemicFishWetland

ID tip

The adult is slate-grey to black, which allows it to blend in with the hardened lava. The back feathers typically have a silvery sheen and it has a short crest on its head. When breeding, the heron has a black beak and bright orange legs, but these fade to grey after the breeding season. Voice: Lava herons are typically seen hunched over and they have a sharp alarm call (described as a scow sound). During aggressive behavior they will use a skuk-skuk call.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Lava Heron

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Lava Heron

Regular range

The map shades 1 country with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Lava Heron

The lava heron, also known as the Galápagos heron, is a species of heron endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is considered by some authorities — including the American Ornithological Society and BirdLife International — to be a subspecies of the striated heron, and was formerly "lumped" with this species and the green heron as the green-backed heron.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Learn the Lava Heron in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.