The Striated Heron (Butorides striata) is a common bird along the coastlines of Africa, South America and Australia, and in Roebuck Bay it spends a lot of time in the mangroves and on the rocks, hunting for fish in pools and creeks in typical stealth mode.
Published on August 18, 2016
Striated Heron
It must be a great fisher with that long beak! Excellent pic!
It is indeed, using stealth and a sharp dagger! Thanks
Great shot Maurice, against the blue sky. When we started birding we use to try and search for the Mangrove Heron not realising it was the Striated Heron. We still find it hard to know why it is called Striated, I much prefer Mangrove, though because it is found in non mangrove places Striated has become the name. I saw this little fellow up there also. I love watching them hunt in their peculiar way.
Thanks, and I agree that Mangrove Heron would be more apt, Ashley. Striated is
derived from the Latin word striatus, meaning striped, I can live with that 😀 They are skilful fishersmene, although unfortunately I didn’t see it catching any.
I have footage of one fishing in my post released last night. Have a great week Maurice!
Another citizen of the world that we are fortunate to also regularly see (known locally as the green-backed heron), but seldom get such a terrific photograph of!
Thank you, Dries! They can be easily frightened indeed
Excellent shot, its eye is perfectly clear, that always makes it for me.
Thanks Sue – eye contact is what I like in images, but herons seldom do.
I find Egrets too are very nervous.
Super image – looks very much like our Green-backed heron in southern Africa. They are quite skittish so difficult to get a good image of them.
Thanks Mike, just sitting still on a rock did the trick – no fishing action unfortunately. The Groenrugreier is the same species indeed.
I have the feeling I’ve seen some when I was in Galapagos Island. You mentioned it is common on the cost of South America so it’s quite possible ! In any case, I love this little bird, it looks he is wearing a hat 🙂
That’s very well possible, Gin, as in the Galapagos archipelago it is called Lava Heron – a subspecies of the Striated Heron.
Oh thanks for that precision !