Striated Heron

By Christopher Minster

The Striated Heron (Butorides striatus), also known in some parts of the world as the Little Heron, is a fairly common sight in Galápagos tidal pools, mangroves, ponds and rocky shores. Similar in size to a Lava Heron, the Striated Heron is also rocky gray in color. They can be easily differentiated, however. The Lava Heron’s coloring is uniform, whereas the Striated Heron has a black crown and dappled wing feathers.

Striated Herons are common around the world, from Japan to South America, Africa and Russia.  They usually perch on a branch or rock near the water’s edge, head back, waiting for a small fish or crustaceans to swim by. They then lunge forward, trapping their prey in their sharp beak and quickly gobbling it. The Striated Heron is a clever bird, occasionally dropping a leaf into the water and snapping up fish that come to look at it.