From 1997 to 2001 we studied a group of 6 Trinidad piping-guans Aburria pipile, a critically endangered species, in northern Trinidad. The group occupied a home range of 19 ha in highly disturbed secondary forest and around small farms, and often split into smaller groups. They spent 93.6% of the time in the forest canopy > 5 m above ground and only 0.2% of the time on the ground (n = 48.1 h). In early morning (n = 18.7 h), they spent 80.3% of their time perched alert, 9.3% preening, 3.9% flying, 3.6% walking, 2.4% feeding, 0.3% drinking, and 0.1% perched flapping. In late afternoon (n = 8.2 h), they spent 78.6% of their time perched alert, 12.8% preening, 3.7% walking, 3.0% feeding, 1.2% flying, and 0.7% drinking. At midday, they eluded observation. They foraged mostly on fruits (occasionally leaves or flowers) of 15 species of plants, with Virola surinamensis (Myristicaceae) constituting the primary item (33.3% of foraging bouts; n = 30). They drank water from epiphytic bromeliads. Drumming displays, produced mechanically by the wings in flight, were given intermittently throughout the morning and rarely in the afternoon. Singing occurred intermittently throughout the early morning and late afternoon. The song consisted of 3 to 7 plaintive whistles rising in pitch, delivered by lone individuals averaging 2.7 songs min -1 , in bouts of up to 30 min. Soft piping calls were usually given in a social context. Raised crest feathers appeared to be an aggressive display. Piping-guans rarely interacted with other species of birds. They were relatively unperturbed by human disturbance.

The nominate subspecies of the Striated Heron (Butorides striata striata) inhabits most of South America. Previous authors suggested that the southernmost populations are partially migratory based on anecdotal evidence. An analysis of 9352 eBird records from south of 20°S reveals that the proportion of Striated Heron records during the austral winter months (June–August) decreases south of 24°S. Breeding occurs as far south as 37°S, whereas individuals have wintered as far south as 39°S. The seasonal distribution data strongly suggest that populations south of 24°S are partially migratory, with most individuals departing during the winter period in southern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and most of Argentina. Given the absence of band recovery, geolocator recovery, or satellite tracking data, it is unknown how far north the southernmost populations migrate, but heat maps of 35304 eBird records in South America suggest most individuals winter in eastern Bolivia and central Brazil. Further studies are needed to elucidate the migratory pathways and destinations of migrant individuals of the Striated Heron.