Herons stalking by the river- Costa Ricas special Birds

Herons: Surely you've ever seen a bird with long legs and beak. Its neck seems to bend and extend dramatically. With all the patience in the world, it remains still near the water waiting. With high probability, what you have seen is one of the twenty species of herons that we can find in Costa Rica, a family of birds that do not go unnoticed because of their large size.

Curiously, we can observe resident herons throughout the year, such as the Green Heron. Others only come in the migratory period, such as the rare Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) and others that, although they come from different continents, such as the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) have adapted a thousand wonders to our latitudes. The latter is one of the most abundant, with its white plumage and yellow beak. It can be easily observed in the pastures, taking advantage of the passage of cattle to feed on insects.

Surprisingly, in this group of birds, we also find species of nocturnal habits, such as the strange Boat-billed Heron (Chochlearius chochlearius) with its spoon beak, or the Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

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Surprisingly, in this group of birds, we also find species of nocturnal habits, such as the strange Boat-billed Heron (Chochlearius chochlearius) with its spoon beak, or the Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

All of them are assoziated with aquatic ecosystems, such as rivers, streams, coasts, and lagoons. That is why their long legs, which allow them to walk on shallow water. Its long beaks are always willing to capture a variety of prey, from insects, crustaceans, fish, frogs, small snakes to medium-sized reptiles, such as basilisks.

Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful is the Agami Heron (Agamia agami), whose nesting colonies are a majestic spectacle. In our country, the nesting colony of Pacuare in the Caribbean lowlands is famous. 

However, it is also possible to observe this fascinating bird in the South Pacific, specifically in the Térraba-Sierpe Wetland, where tour operators specialized in bird watching, will help you to see it from their boats. If you are lucky, you can take a beautiful souvenir photograph.