Green-backed, Striated or Little Heron ( Butorides striata (triatus) )
- Sent by Rodrigo Girardi Santiago - 31/10/2006
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Physical appearance:
36 cm. The legs are short and yellow. The body is predominantly grey, darker in the back. The top of the head is black. The immature is striated and brownish.
Distribution:
American Continent, Africa, Asia, Australia and islands in the Pacific.
Habitat:
Rivers, lakes and mangroves of different sizes.
Diet:
Aquatic insects, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
Reproduction:
The nest is a platform on the top of tall trees. Lays three eggs.
Natural history:
Solitary and migratory. There are saw-like structures inside the beak to help holding slippery food. May be eaten by carnivorous fish such as the trahiras (Hoplias sp.) when walking on flooded land.
