The oxbow lake at Amazon Research and Conservation Center, deep in the Peruvian Amazon, was almost still as I watched this capped heron (Pilherodius pileatus) stand perfectly still and then almost eject its bill into the water like a harpoon.
The long white head plumes fly in every direction as a result.
What really surprised me was the catch – a tiny glass-like fish, so small it took me a while separating it from the water droplets.
You can see the fish almost at the tip of the bill in this photo.
There are a lot of blood sucking insects that we humans find annoying, and so do the birds. Here it seems to look for a particularly annoying individual, as it’s no longer able to focus on hunting. I’ve seen large amount of botflies and other insects sit on or swarm around the head of these beautiful birds, and wonder how much blood is actually removed during a week! These pests are also bothering the king of fishers – the caimans.
A really beautiful bird that most often is shy and takes to the wings even with great distance to the human trying to slowly move closer. But this individual was very relaxed, perhaps the way I was approaching was the key? A float with no engine sound.
It sounds like this:
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Last updated on 8 November 2024
