Herons, Bitterns
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide ranging species of wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. The scientific name comes from Latin ardea "heron", and purpureus, "coloured purple". It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia.
- Family
- Herons, Bitterns
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Vertebrates, fish and carrion
- Migration
- Migrant
- Countries recorded
- 97
Recorded in India, Spain, Netherlands, France, South Africa, Portugal, Thailand, Israel, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Malaysia, Turkey, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Uganda, Kenya, China, Romania, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Egypt, Bulgaria, Russia, Botswana, Madagascar, Gambia, Serbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Senegal, Oman, Austria, Georgia, Zimbabwe, United Kingdom, Namibia, Mozambique, Nepal, Vietnam, Iran, Zambia, Switzerland, Tanzania, Morocco, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sweden, Slovakia, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Slovenia, Armenia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Benin, Cabo Verde, Czechia, Rwanda, eSwatini, Moldova, Bangladesh, Japan, Laos, Poland, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Angola, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Jordan, Cameroon, Togo, Montenegro, Gabon, Algeria, Denmark, Republic of Korea, Burkina Faso, XK, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Norway, Côte d'Ivoire, Malta, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon.
Where to see it: Barragem de Poilão (Republic of Cabo Verde); Barragem de Faveta (Republic of Cabo Verde); Lac Togo-Zones humides en pirogue / Lac Togo wetlands Boat trip (Togo); Nusa Dua WTP (Indonesia); Zio River Mouth boat trip/ Embouchure du Zio en pirogue (Togo).
Photo: Luiz Lapa from Oeiras, Portugal, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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