Fasciated Tiger-Heron
Tigrisoma fasciatum
This medium-sized heron is often seen along fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams, usually at higher elevations than other tiger-herons. Almost always seen singly, standing on a rock in the middle or on the edge of a river. Adults are gray with fine black barring down the entire head, neck, and wings. Juveniles are buffy with uneven black barring. Juveniles essentially identical to juvenile Rufescent Tiger-Heron, but note different habitat.
Identification
At 23–25 in (58–64 cm) in length, the fasciated tiger heron is the smallest of the three tiger herons. The adult's crown is black, and the sides of its face are slaty gray. Its neck and upperparts are black, with widely spaced, fine, pale buff stripes. Its abdomen is grayish-cinnamon to warm brown, and its flanks are gray. Its beak, which is shorter and stouter than those of other tiger herons, is black above and yellowish-green below, with a slightly arched culmen. Its irides are yellow.
Taxonomy
First described as Ardea fasciata by George Such in 1825 from a specimen collected in Serro do Imbé, Brazil, the fasciated tiger heron is now one of three species assigned to the genus Tigrisoma. In the past, it has sometimes been considered as a subspecies of the rufescent tiger heron. It has three subspecies:<p>The genus name Tigrisoma is a combination of the Greek words tigris, meaning "tiger" and somā, meaning "body". The species name fasciatum is a late Latin word meaning "banded". Both the scientific name and the common names refer to the fine barring on the upperparts of both adult and immature birds.
- Scientific name
- Tigrisoma fasciatum
- Authority
- (Such, 1825)
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Tigrisoma
Range and habitat
The fasciated tiger heron is found primarily in foothills, along rocky, quickly-moving streams. Its range extends from Costa Rica through northwestern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and Guyana; it has been recorded as a vagrant in Nicaragua. Although it occurs from sea level to 2,400 ft (730 m), it is generally found at higher elevations than the rufescent tiger heron where the two species occur together.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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