Herons of Tortuguero

The story behind the pictures and a brief history insight into conservation of exotic birds

In the tranquil tributaries of Tortuguero, Costa Rica, I saw tricoloured and tiger herons carefully choosing sticks to toss onto the water’s surface to mimic a passing insect. The heron stands still, not moving a muscle. Then, an unsuspecting fish swims up in the hope of a meal and BAM, the heron uses its neck like a harpoon to strike. The fish is now the meal.

Tricoloured heron fishing in the serene waters of Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

The heron’s S-shaped neck allows for extra muscles to be attached to elongated vertebrae so their heads coil back like a loaded spring and attack with breathtaking speed and accuracy.

According to a local guide, some have theorised that herons have adopted the technique of using sticks as bait from watching humans fish, but he found this hard to believe and thought it more likely that some of our designs may have been inspired by herons. However, we’d have to travel 2 million years back in time to see exactly how fishing arose in our predecessors: Homo erectus and Homo ergaster.

Tiger heron guarding its nest, Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

Heron feathers and the fashion industry

There’s more you should know about these birds beyond their expert fishing methods. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, heron feathers were worn on women’s hats as a symbol of wealth and status. The trade of feathers for the fashion industry impacted a range of exotic birds, especially a genus of small herons called egrets. While species like the Great egret were preferred for their brilliant white plumage, other herons were not immune to hunters’ greed.

Great egret amid the trees in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

The plume trade affected heron populations globally. They were killed in the masses and their offspring were left to die in the nest. Despite significant conservation efforts and protective laws such as New York banning the sale and possession of feathers in 1910, 40 cases of plumes were still being shipped on the Titanic to New York's millinery shops in 1912. These crates were worth roughly $2.3 million in today’s terms. At one point, egret feathers were worth more than gold.

But some individuals hoped for birds to be worth more alive than dead. Several prominent women played crucial roles in the conservation of birds and the campaign against the plume trade, namely: Harriet Hemenway, Minna Hall and Mabel Osgood Wright. These women were the founders of the Audobon Society. This society, named after John James Audubon, a naturalist and bird illustrator, was founded in 1905 and dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats.

These women educated society about the impact of the feather trade and encouraged women to boycott feathered hats. Not only did they inspire their followers to have a deeper connection to nature, but their advocacy for the protection of birds contributed to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918, which protects 1,100 migratory bird species from hunting and capture in the U.S, Canada Mexico, Japan and Russia.

Of course their legacy lives on in the Audobon society, which continues to advocate for policy change to protect our environment. I like to think that their profound contribution towards conservation and legislative change can be seen simply in birds that would have been persecuted in the past, now flying free.