Tiger Herons belong to the genus Tigrisoma. This is a combination of two Greek words: tigris, meaning "tiger" and somā, meaning "body". There are two species of Tiger Heron within the Pantanal - the Fasciated tiger heron (Tigrisoma fasciatum) and Rufescent tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum).
A juvenile Rufescent Tiger Heron displaying it's mottled appearance. Although immature Rufescent and Fasciated Tiger Herons can be also identical, Rufescents may have a stronger red tint around the head and shoulders, whereas Fasciated Tiger Herons have a slightly shorter and more robust beak. Credit: Tony Castro.
Rufescent Tiger Heron with its adult coloration. This colouration develops at around four years of age. Credit: Cláudio Dias Timm.
Fasciated Tiger Herons lack the rusty red-brown colour around the head and upper body. They also prefer other habitats such as fast-moving streams in foothills. In this environment they're most likely to be encountered standing on boulders. Fasciated Tiger Herons have a black crown, although this only appears on adult birds. Credit: Gergo Nagy/Shutterstock.
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Banner image: Two Rufescent Tiger Herons (Fernando Flores/Wikimedia)