Readers’ wildlife photos

Well, folks, we’re down to about zero photos left in the tank, and if you don’t send your good ones, I’ll shoot these ducklings:

ONLY KIDDING! I couldn’t do that. But send in your photos.

Our last batch of photos comes from Ephraim Heller, one of his continuing series of photos from Brazil’s Pantanal Region. Ephraim’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them:

These photos are from my July 2025 trip to Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland area and the world’s largest flooded grasslands. Today I focus on some of the many waterbirds we saw: ducks, ibises, storks, and herons. I was particularly impressed with the variety and beauty of the herons.

In honor of Jerry, first up is the Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) – A tree-nesting duck with long legs that produces distinctive whistling calls, particularly during dawn and dusk flights. Unlike most ducks, both sexes share incubation duties and remain paired throughout the year.

[JAC: You can hear its calls on the Cornell bird site.]

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) – The snake-necked anhinga pursues fish underwater using its dagger-like bill to spear prey. Lacking waterproof plumage, anhingas dry by sunbathing with wings spread. We watched anhingas, when alarmed, drop into the water and undulate their necks to mimic snakes. This fellow was giving the same performance in a tree as we walked by:

Plumbeous Ibis (Theristicus caerulescens) – These use their long, curved bills to probe mud and shallow water for invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. I was quite taken with its iridescent plumage.

Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) – This skimmer uses its unique lower mandible, longer than the upper, to skim fish from water surfaces during flight. I wish I had seen that!

We saw two species of storks:

Jabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria) – The largest flying bird in the Americas, adults can stand over four feet tall with wingspans exceeding eight feet.

We watched as one of these jabiru storks returned to his/her partner perched on their enormous nest. They immediately crossed their bills and engaged in a fascinating bill clattering ritual.

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) – A wood stork uses tactile feeding, closing its bill automatically when prey contacts specialized nerve endings, enabling efficient feeding in murky water. Again, I loved the iridescent plumage.

And now for the marvelous herons! We saw seven species:

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) – A nocturnal heron that hunts fish, frogs, crustaceans, and fried chicken (see below). During breeding season, adults develop elegant plumes and intense red eyes, like this fellow. They are remarkably widespread and adaptable. In the old days, when we visited family near Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland, California, we would often see them feeding in the dumpster behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) – Another nocturnal heron with a bill adapted for catching fish and crustaceans in murky water, using tactile feeding rather than visual hunting.

Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus) – One of the most beautiful herons we encountered. During breeding season, the cap becomes more pronounced and the bird develops longer decorative plumes, like this individual:

Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) – The largest heron in South America, the cocoi can remain motionless for hours before striking at large fish. Here is an example of capture and takeoff:

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) – The LBH transforms from white juvenile plumage to this gorgeous blue-gray adult color:

Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) – This species remains motionless for long periods, relying on camouflage to avoid detection by both prey and predators. I found one perched on a bush in good light, and when our little boat approached he flew to his nest just 10 yards away where his mate and chick were waiting!

Whistling Heron (Syrigma sibilatrix) – Just another amazing, stunning heron.