Zebrilus undulatus

Zebrilus undulatus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Aequornithes
Ordo: Pelecaniformes

Familia: Ardeidae
Genus: Zebrilus
Species: Zebrilus undulatus
Name

Zebrilus undulatus (Gmelin, 1789)
Synonymy

Ardea undulata (protonym)

References

Systema Naturae 1 (2): 637.

Vernacular names
العربية: بلشون متعرج
български: Зиг-заг чапла
català: Martinet tigrat nan
čeština: Bukáček vlnkovaný
Cymraeg: Crëyr amryliw
Deutsch: Zickzackreiher
English: Zigzag Heron
Esperanto: Zigzaga tigrardeo
español: Hococito
فارسی: حواصیل زیگزاگی
français: Butor zigzag
italiano: Airone zigzag
日本語: コビトサギ
lietuvių: Zebrinis baublys
Nederlands: Zigzagreiger
norsk: Sikksakkhegre
پنجابی: زگ زیگ بگلا
português: Socoí
русский: Зебровая цапля
svenska: Zebrahäger
українська: Гова

The zigzag heron (Zebrilus undulatus) is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae, also including egrets and bitterns. It is in the monotypic genus Zebrilus.[2] It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical swamps.
Sani Lodge - Ecuador

The zigzag heron is a species of the entire Amazon Basin, east of the Andes cordillera, and the five bordering countries on the basin's western periphery, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The range does not extend beyond the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela in the northwest, and in the east-northeast encompasses the Guianas; in the southeast Amazon Basin the range does not extend east of the Tapajós River drainage.

They are reclusive birds, staying hidden in thick cover even while foraging.[3]

The adult plumage is gray with fine zigzag barring, with a pale underside, standing about 32 centimetres (12+1⁄2 inches) in height. Juveniles have a dark back with a brown head and underside.[3] Due to its appearance it was often assigned to the tiger herons (Tigrisoma and allies). But in fact, it is a true bittern, having like these only 10 rectrices (other Ardeidae have 12) and being unequivocally placed in the bittern lineage by DNA sequence data too. Short legs and necks and cryptic plumage may thus be plesiomorphic among Ardeidae in general.
References

BirdLife International (2016). "Zebrilus undulatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697291A93606335. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697291A93606335.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
"Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus)". The Internet Bird Collection. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
"Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) - Peru Aves | Peru Birds". Retrieved 2016-06-30.