Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
42.50 - 66 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Wagler, 1827)

Habitat
Shallow, perennial freshwater habitats, such as shallow lakesides, dams, ponds, flood-plains, rice-paddies, marshes, swamps, seasonally flooded grasslands and the edges of rivers. Also alkaline lakes and in estuarine waters including mangroves, tidal mudflats and tidal creeks, although remaining near freshwater inlets.

Range (Guide)

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], C�te dIvoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal (B), Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania [United Republic of], Togo, Uganda, Zambia (B), Zimbabwe.

Vagrant to Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gabon, Israel, Oman, Rwanda, S�o Tom� e Principe, Swaziland, Yemen.

Africa south of Sahara except Congo Basin and arid area around Kalahari; also found in Madagascar.

Population
Estimated population is 25,000 - 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
Human disturbance at breeding sites, habitat destruction are the main threats.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Predominantly fish. Also, crustaceans and aquatic insects.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (4)...)

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) [XC300264]
by Peter Boesman from Lake Awassa, Ethiopia (call)

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) [XC425627]
by Peter Boesman from Serrekunda, Kanifing Municipal Council, Banjul, Gambia (call)

Nest
A solid platform composed of sticks and twigs, located in a tree, bushe or reedbed, usually between 1 - 6 m above the ground and always near or over water. In colonies, often with other species.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Black Heron see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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