About Tigrisoma lineatum (Boddaert, 1783)
The rufescent tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) is a medium-sized heron. It measures 26–30 inches (66–76 cm) in length, and weighs between 630 and 980 grams (22 and 35 ounces). Males and females have similar plumage. Adults have dark rufous coloring on the head, neck, and chest, with a white stripe running down the center of the foreneck. The rest of the upperparts are brownish with fine black vermiculations; the belly and vent are buffy-brown, and the flanks are barred black and white. The tail is black with narrow white barring. Its stout bill ranges from yellowish to dusky, and its legs are dull green. The irides, loral skin, and orbital ring are bright yellow. Unlike other tiger herons, this species has no powder down feathers on its back. Juvenile rufescent tiger herons are rusty-buff overall, with coarse black barring; the buff and black banding on the wings is particularly noticeable. The throat, central chest, and belly of juveniles are white. It takes about five years for the species to develop full adult plumage. The rufescent tiger heron lives in wetlands from Central America through much of South America. It most often occurs below 500 m (1,600 ft), though there are recorded sightings up to 1,600 m (5,200 ft) in Colombia. Because it spends most of its time near water, much of the rufescent tiger heron's diet is made up of aquatic prey, including fish, crustaceans, water beetles, and dragonfly larvae. It also eats adult dragonflies and grasshoppers. It usually hunts alone, standing hunched in shallow pools or wet forest areas while it waits for prey.
