2015 Bonanza Bird #23: Boat-billed Heron

Birdorable Boat-billed Heron

Boat-billed Herons are medium-sized herons found in parts of Central and South America. They live in mangrove forests and feed on a wide variety of food items, including tidal fare like shrimp, insects, and fish.

The Boat-billed Heron is named for its large and wide scoop-like bill. The top of the bill resembles the underside of a boat. The species is also known simply as the Boatbill.

Boat-billed Herons are known for their courtship rituals. Pair-bonding displays include mock fighting, head crest raising and lowering, and bill duels.

Boat-billed Heron
Photo by Amir Matityahu (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)
Photo by Bernard DUPONT (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Tomorrow's bird is a wildly plumaged chicken-sized bird endemic to Borneo. Males have bright blue facial wattles. Can you guess what it is?

Cute Boat-billed Heron Gifts

Comments

ƲσƖcαяσηα ウルガモス (White-throated Sparrow) on December 23, 2015 at 6:10 PM wrote:
Nicee, missed last bird o3o Bornean Crested Fireback?
Louise Warner on February 25, 2017 at 9:32 AM wrote:
tomorrow's bird will be a owl?
Louise Warner on February 27, 2017 at 7:33 AM wrote:
something pheasant?
Louise Warner on February 27, 2017 at 7:34 AM wrote:
bulwer's pheasant?
Louise Warner on March 17, 2017 at 10:16 AM wrote:
yeah, I'm still thinking it's a bulwer's pheasant!
Harpy Eagle on July 3, 2017 at 4:38 AM wrote:
Boaty looks a bit like Black-crowned night heron
Spurwing Plover on May 21, 2022 at 7:20 AM wrote:
He dont let his beak other him they call him Big Bill he ignores the Insults

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published

Wideawake on Easter Island

The Sooty Tern is a seabird that breeds on equatorial islands. Outside of breeding, they rarely are seen on land. The Sooty Tern has two nicknames related to its loud and somewhat obnoxious call. It is called the Wideawake Tern; in Hawaiian its name means cacophony....

Cookie the Famous Major Mitchell's Cockatoo

We've recently added the Pink Cockatoo to Birdorable as our 616th species and our 94th parrot species. This pretty bird is also commonly known as the Major Mitchell's Cockatoo. Parrots are known for their longevity, and one particular famous Major...

Birdorable Northern Fulmar

The Northern Fulmar is a petrel that lives in the northern oceans, across the Atlantic and Pacific. It is abundant in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, but few people ever see them there as they tend to breed in...

Species profile: Sacred Kingfisher

This week, we’re celebrating the world’s kingfishers! There are about 90 species of kingfisher in the world. These darling birds are often colorful, and they can be found all around the world....