Ardea goliath, Cretzschmar, 1827

I'm a little ashamed... two vertebrates in three posts... and both of them in the same class....

Suffice to say that recent posting is not representative of species diversity.

Anyhow, on with the cinema of shame...

 - Eukaryota
   - Animalia
     - Eumetazoa
       - Bilateralia
         - Nephrozoa -see also Ligia oceanica, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Hyllus argyrotoxus, Pseudagrion hageni, Sybilla, Stictogryllacris punctata, Cyathosternum prehensile, Pephricus, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Hagenomyia tristis, Synagris proserpina, Melolontha melolontha, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasinii, Zebronia phenice, Laelia robusta, Anthocharis cardamines, Acada biseriata, Panorpa germanica, Megistocera filipes, Diasemopsis meigenii, Episyrphus balteatus, Helophus pendulus and Senaspis haemorrhoa
           - Deuterostomia
             - Chordata
               - Craniata
                 - Vertebrata
                   - Gnathostomata
                     - Teleostomi
                       - Osteichthyes
                         - Sarcopterygii
                           - Tetrapoda
                             - Reptiliomorpha
                               - Amniota - see also Hipposideros vittatus.
                                 - Reptilia
                                   - Romeriida
                                     - Diapsida
                                       - Sauria - see also Thelotornis capensis and Lygodactylus capensis.
                                         - Archosauromorpha
                                           - Archosauria
                                             - Avemetatarsalia
                                               - Dinosauria
                                                 - Saurischia
                                                   - Therapoda
                                                     - Tetanurae
                                                       - Coelurosauria
                                                         - Maniraptora
                                                           - Aves
                                                             - Euornithes
                                                               - Neornithes
                                                                 - Neognathae
                                                                   - Neoaves - see also Chalcophaps indica and  Sterna hirundo.
                                                                     - Pelecaniformes
                                                                       - Ardeidae
                                                                         - Ardeinae
                                                                       

Ardea goliath

Cretzschmar, 1827

 As its specific epithet (goliath) suggests, this is a big bird, next to which the - itself respectably sized - grey heron (Ardea cinerea) seemed the size of a little egret. Distributed throughout the less populous parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and photographed on the Kafue river (nr. Chumbe, Central Province, Zambia in October 2011). 

That's all, folks.