Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

This is the second of just 3 bird species I encountered at this lagoon in the Shuab valley on the west coast of Socotra. Here it's resting in the warm light of…


Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)

Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)

The oxbow lake at Amazon Research and Conservation Center, deep in the Peruvian Amazon, was almost still as I watched this heron stand perfectly still and then…


White-banded Swallow (Atticora fasciata)

White-banded Swallow (Atticora fasciata)

If you're on or by a river in the Amazon rain forest you will see this species, sometimes a single one like here, or if you're lucky maybe a hundred roosting…


Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

It's the end of the dry season in the Pantanal, and the torrential downpour of last night is now flowing towards the permanent rivers and lakes. In this photo…


Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

This is a very skittish species, perhaps one of the most nervous of all. When I drive up any river these are the birds that first take to the wings to escape.…


Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco)

Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco)

It's a rare opportunity when you find toucan's nest, and even more so when you can follow their food delivery to the chicks. Here it's coming with a large…


Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)

Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)

This immature rufescent tiger heron is quite hard to see when it's standing still among the branches seen here.


Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

This is a nocturnal bird for the most part, but that doesn't mean they are asleep during the day. Here I passed by silently in my canoe, but even though I was…


Brown-Chested Martin (Progne tapera)

Brown-Chested Martin (Progne tapera)

This is a common swallow in Pantanal, and around Pousada Xaraés it has excellent nesting sites as the closest river has high and steep river banks in which it…


Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)

Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)

Usually a very wary bird, and very hard to get close to. In Pantanal many birds allow you to get quite close, but this particular bird is something out of the…