AGAMI HERON - Hummingbird Heron [View all]

Agami Heron by Andrew J. Lee





Agami Heron, Crooked Tree Lagoon, Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize, March 14, 2022.

The colorful, reclusive Agami Heron is a coveted sighting for birders visiting flooded lowland forests and slow-moving waterways of Central and South America. This long-billed, medium-sized heron is so distinctive that it occupies its own genus, Agamia. Its species name, "Agami," comes from a Cayenne Indian word for a forest bird.

In Brazil, the Agami is sometimes called Soco beija-flor, "hummingbird heron," for its vivid plumage. It's also commonly known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron.

This heron specializes in fishing from river banks or branches overhanging the water. Its long neck and dagger-like bill — the longest of any New World heron's — gives the Agami a significant striking range, while proportionally short legs confine the bird to shallow water. Agami Herons rarely wade in the open, preferring to forage for small fish, snails, and insects while stalking along under dense cover.

https://abcbirds.org/bird/agami-heron/