Boatbill Heron Skull Replica

Description

Boatbill Heron Skull replica measures 4.5 inches. Boatbill Heron Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane resin cast, made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw). Our precise skull can be used as a birdwatching teaching tool, museum bird skull exhibit, home décor bird skull, or office décor bird skull.

The Boatbilled heron (Cochlearius cochlearius), colloquially known as the Boatbill, is an atypical member of the heron family. It is the only member of the genus Cochlearius and was formerly placed in a monotypic family, the Cochleariidae.

It lives in mangrove swamps from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil. It is a nocturnal bird, and breeds semicolonially in mangrove trees, laying two to four bluish-white eggs in a twig nest.
The Boat-billed heron grows to about 21 in. long. Adults are pale grey to white in color, with chestnut-colored abdomens and black flanks. The massive, broad, scoop-like bill, which gives rise to this species’ name, is mainly black.

This bird is also adorned with a crest which is thought to be used in mate attraction as it is larger in males. The sexes are similar in appearance, the main differences being that females are slightly smaller, grayer in appearance, and have shorter crests than males.

Boat-billed herons range from Mexico to Peru, Brazil, and northeastern Argentina. They are nonmigratory birds that tend to live in seasonal lagoons and estuaries, and nest in mangroves.

Boat-billed herons breed during the rainy season and have been recorded as producing two clutches during this time, laying their first clutch in February during the end of the dry season. Their clutch sizes range from two to four eggs, with more eggs being laid during the first nesting period than the second.

They usually nest in colonies but have been observed nesting solitarily. Human disturbance can lead to a decrease in reproductive success, as herons tend to avoid human contact and will abandon nests if necessary.

The eggs are pale blue to green. They usually spotted with cinnamon on the larger end, sometimes forming a ring. Eggs average 49.5 x 33.0. The clutch is usually 3 eggs, range is 1-4 eggs. Incubation is about 26 days and incubation is shared by both parents and begins with the first egg. The young are at first fed entirely at night.

The adult is aggressive in defending the young, a behavior not typical of herons. The defense is in which the bird stretches its neck forward, crest raised, wings half open, calling, and bill snapping. Chicks develop quickly and can take to branches with great agility

Newly hatched nestlings have green-yellow skin, with their upperparts covered in gray down feathers. Their upper bill is black and they have green-yellow legs. Juveniles are darker in color than adults and lack a crest.

Boat-billed herons feed on small mammals, amphibians, annelids, molluscs, insects, crabs, shrimp such as Penaeus and Macrobrachium. Other fish preyed upon include mullet, snook, and catfish. They tend to forage in vegetative streams, shallow water, and lagoons.

When foraging in streams, they use low-hanging branches and mangrove roots to stand over the water. In ponds, they walk slowly through the water up to 4 in. deep or will forage near the water’s edge. In order to capture prey they lunge at fish or scoop the surface of the water with their bills.

Additionally, they have been observed standing and slowly stalking prey, or disturbing the water and chasing prey. Boat-billed herons will forage nocturnally and have been seen leaving the roost 30 minutes after sundown to feed.

It has been observed that they do not feed when a light source is present such as daylight, moonlight, or artificial light. One study hypothesized that in order to forage for food in the dark and in shallow, muddy water, their bills are sensitive to touch, which helps them feel for their prey.

Boat-Billed Heron Facts:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Subfamily: Tigriornithinae
Genus: Cochlearius
Species: C. cochlearius
Binomial name: Cochlearius cochlearius

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Additional information

Weight	2 lbs
Dimensions	4.5 in