About the Purple Heron
The purple heron is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements. It is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds. It hunts for a range of prey including fish, rodents, frogs and insects, either stalking them or standing waiting in ambush.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The purple heron is a large bird, 78–97 cm (31–38 in) in length with a standing height from 70 to 94 cm (28 to 37 in) and a 120–152 cm (47–60 in) wingspan. However, it is slender for its size, weighing only 0.5 to 1.35 kg (1.1 to 3.0 lb). It is somewhat smaller than the grey heron, from which it can be distinguished by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and, in adults, its darker grey back. Adults have the forehead and the crown of the head black, with a dark stripe down the back of the neck that terminates in a slender, dangling crest.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Purple Heron sounds like
Where the Purple Heron lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Denmark, Mayotte, Australia, Somalia, Brazil, Maldives, North Korea.
When to see the Purple Heron
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Black-headed HeronArdea melanocephalaThe black-headed heron is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoiThe cocoi heron is the largest of the South American heron species and measures 95–130 cm (37.5–51 in) in length, although body sizes vary regionally; with southern individuals probably being the largest.
White-necked HeronArdea pacificaThe white-necked heron is a large, diurnal, long-legged waterbird.
Side by side: Great Blue Heron vs Purple Heron · Great Egret vs Purple Heron · Grey Heron vs Purple Heron · Purple Heron vs Yellow-crowned Night Heron · Cocoi Heron vs Purple Heron · Purple Heron vs White-necked Heron
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