Sunbittern

Eurypyga helias (Pallas, 1781)

Sunbittern, Eurypyga helias, breeds from Guatemala through Amazonia in Middle America and South America, and lives in humid Neotropical forest with open understorey, usually close to rivers, streams, ponds or lagoons. It is the only member of Eurypygidae and belongs to Eurypygiformes. The bird has a long, pointed bill, a short hallux, and subdued plumage marked with fine black, grey and brown lines. When it opens its wings, vivid red, yellow and black eyespots appear. It nests in trees in the early wet season and lays two blotched eggs.

Order

Eurypygiformes

Family

Eurypygidae — Sunbittern

Breeding range

Middle America, South America: Guatemala through Amazonia