Photo: Fernando Flores / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cocoi Heron
Ardea cocoi
Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 1.8 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Ardeidae Herons, Bitterns
- Genus Ardea
- Species cocoi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.8 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cocoi Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Cocoi Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.8 kg, with a wing length of about 46.6 cm and a tail of around 17.8 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 14.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cocoi Heron?
The Cocoi Heron is a very large bird that weighs around 1.8 kg.
Where does the Cocoi Heron live?
The Cocoi Heron is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Cocoi Heron belong to?
The Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Cocoi Heron eat?
The Cocoi Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Cocoi Heron migrate?
The Cocoi Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cocoi 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 Cocoi Heron make?
1 real field recording of the Cocoi Heron — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cocoi Heron's range?
The Cocoi Heron has a mapped global range of about 14.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Ardeidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Herons, Pelicans & Ibises
Least Concern
Extinct
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable