The Agami Heron might be one of the most beautiful birds in the world. It’s undoubtedly one of the most unseen.
The reclusive bird resides in the wetland habitats of Central America, stretching south to Peru and Brazil.
One would think its elaborate plumage and a silvery splash of neck plumes would make it easy to spot. Brazilians nicknamed it “Soco beija-flor” or “hummingbird heronin” for a reason.
But the medium-sized bird also has short legs and incredible stillness, making it hard to find in the humid tropical lowlands.
Highly secretive and shy bird
The Agami Heron’s quiet nature — the animal is known to wait for hours for the perfect catch using its dagger-like bill — makes it challenging to identify in and under backwater vegetation where it lurks.
This secretive and shy tropical bird is also known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron and is the only member of the genus Agamia.
