Editing Sunbittern (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
The sunbittern's [[range (biology)|range]] extends from [[Guatemala]] to [[Brazil]]. The nominate race,  ''E. h. helias'', is found east of the Andes in lowland tropical South America, from the [[Orinoco]] basin, through the [[Amazon basin]] and [[Pantanal]]. The subspecies  ''E. h. meridionalis'', has a more restricted distribution, being found along the East Andean slope in south-central [[Peru]], in the lower subtropical zone at altitudes of {{convert|800-1830|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The final subspecies, ''E. h. major'', is found at various altitudes ranging from southern [[Guatemala]], through Central America and the [[Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena|Chocó]] to western [[Ecuador]].<ref name="HBW3"/> This subspecies may also be present in southern [[Mexico]]. It has been traditionally reported from the Atlantic slope of [[Chiapas]], but no specimens are known and there have been no recent records.<ref>Howell, Steve N. G. and Webb, Sophie (1995) [[A guide to the birds of Mexico and Northern Central America]] {{ISBN|0-19-854012-4}}</ref>

The species is found in the humid [[Neotropical]] forests, generally with an open understorey and near rivers, streams, ponds or lagoons.<ref name="HBW3"/>