Visiting an Agami Heron Nesting Colony in the Colombian Caribbean
Chris recently visited a remarkably accessible Agami Heron nesting colony in the Colombian Caribbean department of Cordoba. Here’s his story of a journey to spot the world’s most beautiful heron.
One weekend in July, I traveled to the Cispatá Bay in the Colombian Caribbean department of Cordoba. While most visitors to this scenic stretch of white sand coastline come for the delicious seafood and tranquil beaches, I was there to pay a visit to a heron; not just any heron, but probably the most beautiful one on earth, the mysterious Agami Heron.
Every year, on a mangrove island in the twisting waterways of the Sinú River Delta, large numbers of these elusive herons come together to nest and raise their young alongside half a dozen other species.
This nesting colony has been known to ornithologists for around 20 years. The local fishing community has known about it even longer. However, only in the past few years has it opened up to birders. Given the area’s ease of access and proximity to big cities like Monteria and Cartagena, this may be the most accessible Agami Heron nesting colony in the world.
The nesting island, home to hundreds of birds from at least half a dozen different species
The Sociedad Ornitologica de Córdoba (Cordoba Ornithological Society) has been working with local people to encourage community-driven ecotourism. As a result, access to the colony now has to go through the local community to enable them to conserve the surrounding habitat, protect the nesting colony, and develop more tourism initiatives, such as lodges and birding routes. All visits to the colony are with local guides and boatmen and include a fee paid to the local community as part of any tourism tariff. It’s an excellent example of community tourism and reflects well on the wonderful outreach work being undertaken throughout the department by the society and its representatives.
One such tourism initiative is a new floating observation platform constructed across from the colony, allowing birders to observe the nesting birds from a comfortable distance. We headed to this platform after an early morning boat took us out to the Caño Grande community from the Cispatá Bay.
A local guide rowed our small canoe to the lake through the mangroves. After a brief pause to enjoy close views of a Pied Puffbird and a few flybys from an uncooperative American Pygmy Kingfisher, we arrived at the nesting island to a cacophony of noise. If you’ve ever been to a large heron nesting colony before, you’ll know that they’re chaotic and noisy places, as herons from various species squawk and squabble in tight spaces. This one was no different: hundreds of birds, including Agami Herons, Boat-billed Herons, Tricolored Herons, and Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets, all crammed together onto a small island in the swamp.
A stunning Agami Heron sitting on its nest at the Cordoba nesting colony
We docked at the floating platform and started to observe the colony. It was a remarkable birding experience; there’s so much constant activity to watch at a nesting colony like this. Since each species has a slightly different nesting schedule, we could observe the Agami Herons delicately turning their powder-blue eggs, while Boat-billed Herons fussed over tiny newborn chicks, and egrets fed scraggly youngsters. The Tricolored Herons seemed the furthest along, with unkempt juveniles already taking their first tentative flights between branches.
A tiny Boat-billed Heron chick already showing off its eponymous bill
Each species also takes on elaborate breeding plumage at this time of year. Although the egrets’ was already starting to fade as their young came closer to fledging, the Agami and Boat-billed Heron’s finery was still very much on show. The Agamis live up to their reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful herons with startling pale-lilac plumes, bright purple and blue flanks, and a delicate crosshatching of breast feathers. The Boat-billed Herons have an altogether more surreal appearance, with an oversized black feather headdress causing them to resemble an avian version of Predator from the ‘80s sci-fi movie.
Boat-billed Herons are such weird-looking birds!
We spent the rest of the morning observing the colony, occasionally taking the canoe out on a loop of the island for closer looks at the nests. Finally, after a few hours of enjoying such privileged views of usually shy species, we headed back along the waterways of the Sinú Delta to our base on the Cispatá Bay. Along the way, I bagged a Colombian lifer in the form of a cooperative Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, perched out on an open branch in the mangroves. I’ve seen that species in Costa Rica on a couple of occasions, but as I always say, my Colombia list is the only one that really matters to me, so I needed that bird!
My Colombia lifer Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
After a brief stop at a floating restaurant for fresh oysters and point-blank looks at Royal, Large-billed, and Sandwich Terns, we arrived at the Cispatá Bay at dusk. Finally, we briefly paused at a tiny island nicknamed “Bird Island” by locals to enjoy close-up looks at perched Magnificent Frigatebirds and a pair of Brown Boobies - a relatively uncommon visitor here that was a lifer for our guide.
The floating oyster restaurant where we ended the day. Spot the Royal Tern…
Visiting Cordoba’s Agami Heron nesting colony may not yet be established as a birding ‘must’ in Colombia. Still, it’s surely only a matter of time: where else can you enjoy such exceptional views of the most beautiful heron on earth?! It was my first visit, but I’m already penciling it in as an annual date on my birding calendar.
The most beautiful heron in the world: the Agami Heron
