Marble Heron
| Marble Heron | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marble Heron ( Tigrisoma lineatum ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tigrisoma lineatum | ||||||||||||
| ( Boddaert , 1783) |
The marble heron ( Tigrisoma lineatum ) is a species from the heron family. The species occurs in two subspecies exclusively in Central and South America.
Appearance
The marble heron is one of the medium-sized heron species and reaches a body size of 66 to 76 centimeters. A noticeable gender dimorphism is not present.
The head, sides of the head and the long, relatively thick neck are maroon to cinnamon in color. The beak is relatively long with up to 10 centimeters. The beak color varies depending on age and season; the color change is not yet adequately understood. Basically, the upper beak is dark and the lower beak a bit lighter. The skin at the base of the beak is yellow. The irises are yellow to pale brown. The chin is white: a brown longitudinal stripe runs along the front neck, which is bordered on both sides by white stripes. These stripes are particularly noticeable when the marble heron lifts its head or assumes a bittern-like post position. The back and tail are black-green and the wings are dark gray. Both the back and the wings have very fine brown lines and spots that can extend to the head. The belly is gray with a slight ocher tint. The legs, with their relatively long tarsi , are olive to black on the front and greenish on the back.
Distribution area and habitat
The marble heron occurs exclusively in Central and South America . It breeds in the north of Guatemala , in the southeast of Honduras , in east Nicaragua , in Costa Rica , in Colombia , in the southwest of Ecuador, east of the Andes in Venezuela, in Guayana and Suriname, Trinidad as well as in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, the north of Uruguay and the northeast of Argentina . He is considered a resident bird.
The habitat of the marble heron are tropical forest swamps in the lowlands. It is a bird typical of the large wetlands of South America. Occasionally it is also found in swampy forests at the foot of the Andes.
Way of life
Marble herons mainly find their food at night and at dusk by standing quietly in wait for their prey. It is a solitary species that can be observed in pairs at best. He defends his food territory very resolutely against other heron species. There are particularly vigorous arguments with whistling herons . Its food spectrum includes fish, grasshoppers, water beetles, dragonfly larvae and snakes.
Reproductive biology has not yet been studied very closely. The breeding time seems to vary depending on the area of distribution. The marble heron nests solitary and builds its nest in tall trees. The clutch usually comprises two eggs. The female breeds alone. The breeding season is 31 to 34 days. Feed both parent birds.
The existence of the marble heron has not yet been investigated in detail. The species is widespread and common in places.
supporting documents
Single receipts
literature
- James A. Kushlan & James A. Hancock: Herons . Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-854981-4
Web links
- Tigrisoma lineatum inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2013.