By: Jesús Ángel Barajas Fragoso
The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is an elegant bird measuring just under a meter tall that lives in the aquatic ecosystems of Mexico in northwestern South America. Unlike other herons, it prefers solitude.
Its diet consists of fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects, which it patiently hunts in open habitats. Its passive hunting technique makes it a natural population controller, benefiting the health of wetlands.
Despite its importance, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as Least Concern.
However, in Mexico, the Mexican Official Standard NOM-059-2010 lists it as Subject to Special Protection (Pr), highlighting the need for its conservation.
If you are adventurous, we invite you to explore “Los Horcones River” at the Vallarta Botanical Garden and you may be fortunate enough to spot this magnificent bird, a true winged treasure of our biodiversity.
