Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron

A large, secretive heron of mangroves, wetland edges and wooded riverbanks from Mexico through Central America, patterned in bold barred plumage as a juvenile and plainer grey-brown with a distinctive bare throat patch as an adult. It is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, hunting fish and crustaceans by standing motionless at the water's edge at dawn, dusk or after dark, and is far more often heard than seen thanks to its deep, booming call. Quiet boat trips or waits near mangrove channels at first or last light give the best chance of a sighting.