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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Madagascar Heron	Boat-billed Heron
Scientific Name	Ardea humbloti	Cochlearius cochlearius
Order	Pelecaniformes	Pelecaniformes
Family	Ardeidae	Ardeidae
Conservation Status	Endangered	Least Concern
Length	—	—
Wingspan	89.8 cm (35.4 in)	52.9 cm (20.8 in)
Weight	1060.0 g (37.39 oz)	644.0 g (22.72 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	3	1-4
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🏖️ Coastal 🌿 Wetland

Madagascar Heron only

None

Boat-billed Heron only

🌲 Forest

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Conservation Status

Endangered

Madagascar Heron

Least Concern

Boat-billed Heron

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About These Birds

Madagascar Heron

Boat-billed Heron

The Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) is one of the most morphologically distinctive members of the family Ardeidae, so unusual in appearance that it was formerly placed in its own monotypic family, Cochleariidae. The feature that immediately sets this species apart is its extraordinarily broad, flat, scoop-shaped bill, which is wider than it is long and resembles an upturned boat hull — a structure unlike any other heron bill. Adults have a black cap and crest, pale gray to white breast …

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