This magnificent creature is the largest heron in existence today. We saw this one in Zambia. It is a Goliath Heron, presumably named after the giant named Goliath from the bible, Pete caught sight of this guy, and I'm frankly surprised that my photos came out as well as they did, considering that we were in a boat at the time.
Check out that bill! It's massive! This bird stands nearly a foot taller then the Great Blue Heron, and has a wingspan of 7 feet or more. It's an aptly named, gigantic bird!
I would love to have seen this guy raise his massive crest, but that never happened in front of us. These birds are monogamous, but they have a courtship dance that is a real sight. They don't have a "mating Season" per se, and have been seen raising their young all year long.
That gargantuan bill regularly catches fish weighing more than a pound and well over twelve inches long. It takes a lot of food to satisfy this guy!
This big guy even flies differently than other herons. His legs are so large that they hang down a bit in flight instead of being held straight out behind him. Yeah, this is one gigantic bird. I'm thrilled to add it to my life list!
So beautiful! Thank you for these photos and story -- a great way to start my week!
ReplyDeleteHey, nice site you have here! Keep up the excellent work!
ReplyDeleteRating Therapist