Birds · Pelecaniformes · Ardeidae

Cocoi Heron

Ardea cocoi

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The largest of the South American herons. Grey on the back and wings, with a white neck held in an S, white thighs and undertail coverts and a wholly black crown extending into a pointed crest over the nape. A dull yellow bill, yellow iris and blue-grey bare skin around the eye.

Weight

1.1 kg – 3.2 kg

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Freshwater

58countries 71parks11same family

Fun facts

It forms a superspecies with the Eurasian grey heron and the North American great blue heron: all three have almost identical skeletal morphology.
It takes fish of more than 20 cm, but also mammals, amphibians, reptiles and even carrion.
It adapts its diet to its surroundings: on rivers and lakes it fishes, while in heavily vegetated areas it hunts insects and amphibians.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: All kinds of aquatic habitats: rivers, streams, marshes, swamps, lagoons and freshwater lakes, as well as irrigation canals. Its long legs let it wade into deeper water than other herons
Birth weight: Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
Size at birth: Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
Gestation / incubation: 24-26 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2-4 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; Universidad de las Indias Occidentales (ficha Ardea cocoi); Dunning 2008; Hancock y Kushlan, The Heron Handbook; Heron Conservation (Heron Specialist Group); de la Paz Ducommun y Beltzer 2010; Birds of the World (Cornell Lab)