Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum Scientific name definitions

Although widespread, Fasciated Tiger-Heron is uncommon and local throughout its range. They occur along rocky streams and rivers in subtropical forest. Frequently seen standing motionlessly on boulders or gravel in the stream’s center, they hunt primarily for fish. Although Rufescent Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) is somewhat similar in appearance, they prefer stagnant water and occur at lower elevations than Fasciated. The adults of these two species are distinctive, with Fasciateds appearing dark overall with narrow pale stripes throughout. The juveniles, however, are both light brown patterned with dark, and are virtually indistinguishable in the field.

61–71 cm; 850 g (1 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Identified by being marginally smaller than T. lineatum, with shorter tarsi, shorter, more robust, slightly downcurved and generally dark bill  (maxilla black with horn-coloured tip and mandible has yellow-green base, otherwise dark), barred (not chestnut) head  and neck, uniform grey (not banded) flanks and tawny (not grey and ochre) abdomen, while the present species also has a penchant for more highland localities (although they are locally sympatric, e.g. in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, N Colombia) (2 Strewe, R., and C. Navarro (2003). New distributional records and conservation importance of the San Salvador Valley, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern Colombia. Ornitología Colombiana 1:29–41. Close ). From T. mexicanum, separated by smaller size, white-feathered throat and dark flanks and underparts. Underwing slate indistinctly barred whitish. Colour of facial skin  variable, with lores yellow to black, perhaps changing seasonally; eyes yellow; legs and feet brown. Juvenile generally duller, more prominently banded blackish and pale buff; whiter below, very closely recalling juvenile T. lineatum, but bill shorter and stouter, appearing more curved (but note very young lineatum could be identical in this respect), has more barring on flanks (but latter feature very difficult to see in the field) and three (as opposed to four) narrow white bands on tail (1 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Full-adult plumage only achieved after c. 4 years, with barring slowly becoming narrower and less distinct with age. Races separated on measurements, coloration and feathering on mandible: pallescens large, is paler especially on rear underparts; has strip of feathering over base of lower mandible (like nominate fasciatum); salmoni smaller, lacks mandibular feathering.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Scattered records as far as the Guianas and Amapá (NC Brazil) suggest range may be more extensive (3 Kajiki, L.N., Togura, C.M. and Michalski, M. (2013). First record of Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) in the state of Amapá, Brazil and updated species distribution in Central and South America. Biota Neotropica 13(4): 385–390. Close ).

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SUBSPECIES

Tigrisoma fasciatum salmoni Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Costa Rica and Panama E to NE Venezuela, and S through Andes to NW Argentina (Jujuy).

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SUBSPECIES

Tigrisoma fasciatum fasciatum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

WC and SE Brazil (Mato Grosso; Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul) and NE Argentina (Misiones).

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SUBSPECIES

Tigrisoma fasciatum pallescens Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NW Argentina (Salta, Tucumán).

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Occurs in wet premontane forest; generally found along clear-water creeks , streams and fast-flowing rivers with sand or gravel banks and forested margins. Generally recorded above 300 m (e.g. in Venezuela and Peru), generally reaching 2200 m in Colombia, c. 2150 m in E Peru (4 Hornbuckle, J. (1999). The birds of Abra Patricia and the upper Río Mayo, San Martín, north Peru. Cotinga 12:11–28. Close , 5 Olmos, F. and Souza, R.C.R. (2009). Foraging behaviour and a new prey for Tigrisoma fasciatum (Ciconiifomes: Ardeidae) in the Urubamba river, Peru. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 149: 13. Close ) (though see Movements) and 1200 m in Venezuela (6 Sharpe, C. J., D. Ascanio-Echeverría, and G. A. Rodríguez (2001). Further range extensions and noteworthy records for Venezuelan birds. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 121(1):50–62. Close ), but below 750 m in Central America (7 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Sedentary. In Andes, regular dispersal, mostly of juveniles, to temperate zone; in Peru, occurs up to 3300 m in semi-arid valleys of Cuzco, and possibly also in Ayacucho and Apurímac.

Very little known. Stomach contents included armoured catfish (Loricariidae) and Odonata (8 Straube, F.C. (1991). Novos registros de duas aves raras no Estado do Paraná: Crypturellus noctivagus (Tinamiformes: Tinamidae) e Tigrisoma fiasciatum (Ciconllforrnes: Ardeidae). Ararajuba. 2: 93–94. Close ), and recently observed stalking frogs and small fish, and to take an 8–10 cm-long brown slug (5 Olmos, F. and Souza, R.C.R. (2009). Foraging behaviour and a new prey for Tigrisoma fasciatum (Ciconiifomes: Ardeidae) in the Urubamba river, Peru. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 149: 13. Close ). Normally feeds alone (by Standing and Walking Slowly) (7 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), although individuals may be stationed at just a few hundred metres distance along suitable rivers (1 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) (sometimes as close as 50 m) (9 Araujo Gussoni, C.O., Andrade Figueiredo, L.F. and Mix, P. (2006). Registro do socó-boi-escuro, Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825), no Parque do Zizo, Município de Tapiraí, Estado de São Paulo. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 130: 19. Close ), and is presumably partially nocturnal, but it also regularly feeds by day (5 Olmos, F. and Souza, R.C.R. (2009). Foraging behaviour and a new prey for Tigrisoma fasciatum (Ciconiifomes: Ardeidae) in the Urubamba river, Peru. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 149: 13. Close ). Frequently observed in the open, but its generally dark coloration provides reasonable camouflage.

Until recently was considered to be unknown (7 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), but since then a loud series of “kwok” notes has been described (10 Restall, R., C. Rodner, and M. Lentino (2006). Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and recorded  . Furthermore, territorial song is now known to be similar to that of T. lineatum, with the first notes ascending and ending in a mooing, but the first notes in the present species are given in pairs, with the accent on the second note of each pair, whereas T. lineatum utters single, constantly ascending notes (11 López-Lanús, B. and Zalazar, S. (2015). Descripción del canto de proclamación territorial del Hocó Oscuro (Tigrisoma fasciatum). Hornero. 30(1): 13–20. Close ).

A nest in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, had a chick  in Nov; nest in tree, made of sticks (12 Pacheco Nunes, A., Cavaretto, R.C., Becker, R.G. and Gomes de Souza Paiva de Paula, E.C. (2012). Novos registros do socó-boi-escuro (Tigrisoma fasciatum) no Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 168: 12–14. Close ). Nest is a platform constructed of sticks and lianas, 50–60 cm in diameter; single egg, while the chick is fed by both adults, and fledges at c. 35 days (12 Pacheco Nunes, A., Cavaretto, R.C., Becker, R.G. and Gomes de Souza Paiva de Paula, E.C. (2012). Novos registros do socó-boi-escuro (Tigrisoma fasciatum) no Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 168: 12–14. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Previously considered Near Threatened; included in original Red Data Book (1978/79), where placed in category Indeterminate, due to scarcity of observations. No robust information available on overall status or population size; said to be local and uncommon, and generally found at low densities (7 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); presence in some parts of supposed range remains unconfirmed. Legally protected in Brazil, where the species is considered threatened at national level (due to forest clearance along rivers, effects of tourism and, especially, construction of hydroelectric schemes) (12 Pacheco Nunes, A., Cavaretto, R.C., Becker, R.G. and Gomes de Souza Paiva de Paula, E.C. (2012). Novos registros do socó-boi-escuro (Tigrisoma fasciatum) no Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 168: 12–14. Close ), and is known from several protected areas including Amapá National Forest (3 Kajiki, L.N., Togura, C.M. and Michalski, M. (2013). First record of Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) in the state of Amapá, Brazil and updated species distribution in Central and South America. Biota Neotropica 13(4): 385–390. Close ), Chapada dos Veadeiros and Iguaçu National Parks (13 Straube, F.C., Urben-Filho, A. and Cândido-Jr, J.F. (2004). Novas informações sobre a avifauna do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Paraná). Atualidades Orn.. 120: 10. Close ). Rare and patchy in Colombia, but reportedly expanding its range in highlands of Costa Rica due to increase in artificial fishponds, where recently also reported on country’s Pacific slope (7 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), and has been discovered in SE Honduras (at several localities within the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve) (14 Vallely, A.C., Gallardo, R.J. and Ascher, J.S. (2010). Notes on the birds of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, including four new species for Honduras. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 130(1): 52–60. Close ) and in SE Nicaragua (Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz) (15 Chavarría-Duriaux, L. and Campos-Cedeño, E. (2015). Garza Tigre de Río (Fasciated Tiger-Heron) Tigrisoma fasciatum: nuevo reporte para Nicaragua. Zeledonia. 19(2): 116–117. Close ). Furthermore, range only recently extended to encompass C Surinam (where nominally protected within Central Surinam Nature Reserve) (16 Ottema, O. (2002). A possible population of Fasciated Tiger-heron Tigrisoma fasciatum on the upper Coppename, Surinam. Cotinga. 18: 103. Close ), French Guiana (where recorded on three different rivers) (17 Renaudier, A., and Comité d’Homologation de Guyane (2010). Rare birds in French Guiana in 2005–07. Cotinga 32:95–104. Close ) and the state of Amapá, in northernmost Brazil (3 Kajiki, L.N., Togura, C.M. and Michalski, M. (2013). First record of Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) in the state of Amapá, Brazil and updated species distribution in Central and South America. Biota Neotropica 13(4): 385–390. Close ), while W of Andes, the species has recently been discovered at several sites in NW Peru (including Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge) (18 Angulo Pratolongo, F., Tello, J.G. and Barrio, J. (2008). First records of Fasciated Tiger Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum in the west Peruvian Andes. Cotinga. 29: 173–175. Close ). Nominate fasciatum very rare or perhaps even extinct in many parts of its range in SE Brazil, due to forest destruction, with very few known localities (some of them purely historical), in following states from N to S (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná (8 Straube, F.C. (1991). Novos registros de duas aves raras no Estado do Paraná: Crypturellus noctivagus (Tinamiformes: Tinamidae) e Tigrisoma fiasciatum (Ciconllforrnes: Ardeidae). Ararajuba. 2: 93–94. Close , 13 Straube, F.C., Urben-Filho, A. and Cândido-Jr, J.F. (2004). Novas informações sobre a avifauna do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Paraná). Atualidades Orn.. 120: 10. Close ), São Paulo (9 Araujo Gussoni, C.O., Andrade Figueiredo, L.F. and Mix, P. (2006). Registro do socó-boi-escuro, Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825), no Parque do Zizo, Município de Tapiraí, Estado de São Paulo. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 130: 19. Close ), Mato Grosso do Sul (19 Pivatto, M. A. C., D. Granville Manço, F. C. Straube, A. Urben-Filho, and M. Milano (2006). Aves do Planalto da Bodoquena, Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. Atualidades Ornitológicas 129:28. Close , 20 Pacheco Nunes, A., M. Neves Godoi, M. A. Castro Pivatto, J. C. Morante Filho, E. W. Patrial, P. A. Silva, V. K. Stavis, D. Granville Manço, M. B. Costacurta, C. Leuchtenberger, and C. R. Lehn (2013). Aves da Serra de Maracaju, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 21(1):75–100. Close ), Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro and Goiás) (21 Yamashita, C. and Valle, M.P. (1990). Ocorrencia de duas aves raras no Brasil Central: Mergus octosetaceus e Tigrisoma fasciatum fasciatum. Ararajuba. 1: 107–109. Close , 22 Sick, H. (1997). Ornitologia Brasileira. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close , 23 Faria, I.P. (2008). Duas novas ocorrências do socó-boi-escuro Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) no Estado de Goiás, Brasil [Two new occurrences of the Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) in the state of Goiás, Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 16(4): 391–394. Close ); evidence suggests may never have been numerous, but the species was recently rediscovered after almost two centuries without records in state of Rio de Janeiro  . Race salmoni considered uncommon and local in N Venezuela, where regularly found at just a couple of localities, with one sight-only record from far S of country (Amazonas) at frontier with Brazil (1 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Race pallescens of Salta and Tucumán Provinces, Argentina, even less known; may also be at risk if proposed hydroelectric schemes are constructed (24 Fraga, R.M. and Clark, R. (1999). Notes on the avifauna of the upper Bermejo River (Argentina and Bolivia) with a new species for Argentina. Cotinga. 12: 77–78. Close ).