Boat-billed Herons breeding in center of Paramaribo
17/June/2013 00:59 Filed in: Bird Species
For more than 20 years there is a heron/egret colony in the center of Paramaribo near the mouth of the Sommelsdijckse Creek. Cattle Egret always has been the most numerous breeder with several hundreds of nests, but Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret and Tricolored Heron are known to breed here from the beginning with in between 10 and 20 nests.
About ten years ago Black-crowned Night-heron started to breed here breed here with a few couples. Last years this species had over 20 nests. couples of the much rarer Boat-billed Heron have been breeding here. In 2011 over 60 couples of the much rarer Boat-billed Heron have been breeding here. This year there numbers increased to over 130 nests and there are more to come.
The Boat-billed Heron usually breeds in very difficult accessible places in Black Mangroves along the coastline or more inland in temporarily flooded forest. This colony can be reached by car! It is situated in between the garden of the cabinet of the president and the hotel Royal Torarica on property of the government in front of a waterpump station and therefore may not be visited by tourists. Until now tourists can see the birds from a boat. The nests of the Boatbills can be seen from the garden of the hotel.
[photos ©] Boatbilled Heron by Jean-Louis Rousselle
The Boat-billed Heron usually breeds in very difficult accessible places in Black Mangroves along the coastline or more inland in temporarily flooded forest. This colony can be reached by car! It is situated in between the garden of the cabinet of the president and the hotel Royal Torarica on property of the government in front of a waterpump station and therefore may not be visited by tourists. Until now tourists can see the birds from a boat. The nests of the Boatbills can be seen from the garden of the hotel.
[photos ©] Boatbilled Heron by Jean-Louis Rousselle