Birds
Lava heron
Butorides sundevalliConservation statusLeast Concern
DietSmall fish and small rock crabs
LifespanNot precisely known
Size and weightAbout 35 cm
A small, dark gray heron, almost invisible on the lava rocks. It stands still for many minutes.
Sharp bill
What makes it specialDrops a feather or a leaf on the water as bait and waits for a fish to come up and check it.
Surprising factOn the black lava it is almost perfectly hidden.
PopulationAbout 400-600 pairs. Endemic: it lives nowhere else in the world.
Black lava rocks at almost every landing site