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Photo: Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

Tigrisoma mexicanum

Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Central America & Caribbean.

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The Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 1.2 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Pelecaniformes
  3. Family Ardeidae Herons, Bitterns
  4. Genus Tigrisoma
  5. Species mexicanum

Where it lives

Mexico to Colombia

Quick facts

Weight
1.2 kg
Family
Ardeidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Mexico to Colombia.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.2 kg, with a wing length of about 37.2 cm and a tail of around 14.5 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 928,000 km².

Songs & calls

Bare-throated Tiger Heron — Song

Recorded by Bill Pyle Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Bare-throated Tiger Heron?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is a very large bird that weighs around 1.2 kg.

Where does the Bare-throated Tiger Heron live?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Mexico to Colombia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Bare-throated Tiger Heron belong to?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.

What does the Bare-throated Tiger Heron eat?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Bare-throated Tiger Heron migrate?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Bare-throated Tiger Heron endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Bare-throated Tiger Heron make?

1 real field recording of the Bare-throated Tiger Heron — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Bare-throated Tiger Heron's range?

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron has a mapped global range of about 928,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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