Green-backed Heron Butorides striata
(aka Striated Heron)

Brazilian name: socozinho
Striated Heron, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click on image for a larger view Brazil and Peru

The Green-backed Heron is divided into about twenty subspecies spread across tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia. See the distribution map at Birdlife International.

The nominate subspecies, Butorides striata striata is the one to be found in South America and is often referred to as Striated Heron.

Striated Heron, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click on image for a larger view It is small with short, yellow legs and the South American subspecies has grey on the sides of the head and the neck.

They feed mainly on fish and have been known to use a curious technique known as "baiting" whereby it will throw an insect onto the surface of the water in order to attract its prey.

Juvenile Striated Heron, Marchanteria Island, Amazonas, Brazil, July 2001 - click on image for a larger view The third and fourth photos show juveniles with heavily streaked neck and whitish spots on the wings.

There are illustrations in Hilty & Brown, Plate 2; HBW, Volume 1, pages 394 and 414 and Sick, Plate 3.

Juvenile Striated Heron, rio Mapia, near Borba, Amazonas, Brazil, August 2004 - click on image for a larger view

Striated Heron, Belém, Pará, Brazil, November 2005 - click on image for a larger view
Juvenile Striated Heron, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click on image for a larger view
Striated Heron, Aguas de São Pedro, São Paulo, Brazil, November 2008 - click on image for a larger view
Striated Heron, Rioja, San Martin, Peru, October 2018 - click on image for a larger view
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