Purple Heron

Purple Heron

Taxobox
name = Purple Heron
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Purple Heron, Oued Massa, Morocco
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Ciconiiformes
familia = Ardeidae
genus = "Ardea"
species = "A. purpurea"
binomial = "Ardea purpurea"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1766)The Purple Heron ("Ardea purpurea") is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia. It is a rare but regular wanderer north of its breeding range.

Description

The Purple Heron is a large bird, 80-90 cm tall, with a 120-150 cm wingspan, but slender for its size, weighing only 0.5-1.3 kg. It is somewhat smaller than the Grey Heron, from which it can be distinguishes by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and, in adults, darker grey back. It has a narrower yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults.

Taxonomy

There are three or four subspecies:
*"Ardea purpurea purpurea" Linnaeus, 1766. Africa, Europe north to the Netherlands, and southwestern Asia east to Kazakhstan.
*"Ardea purpurea bournei" (de Naurois, 1966). Cape Verde Islands (included in "purpurea" by some authors, but treated as a distinct species "Ardea bournei" by some others).
*"Ardea purpurea madagascariensis" Oort, 1910. Madagascar.
*"Ardea purpurea manilensis" Meyen, 1834. Asia from Pakistan east to the Philippines and north to Primorsky Krai, Russia.

Behaviour

The Purple Heron breeds in colonies in reed beds or trees close to large lakes or other extensive wetlands. It builds a bulky stick nest.

It feeds in shallow water, spearing fish, frogs or insects with its long, sharp bill. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim. It tends to keep within reedbeds more than the Grey Heron, and is often inconspicuous, despite its size.

It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The long neck of Purple Heron looks particularly snake-like, with more of an S-shape in flight. The call is a loud croaking "krek".

The Purple Heron is one of the species to which the "Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds" (AEWA) applies.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
*"Handbook of the Birds of the World" 1: 407. Lynx Edicions.
* [http://ornitaxa.com/SM/Split/SplitHerons.htm Ornitaxa: "Ardea bournei" split as a separate species]

External links

* [http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/44_PurpleHeronApurpurea.pdf Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta]
* [http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/species.jsp?lang=FR&id=73DA61728819EC8A&ts=1216889928219&sec=flickr Avibase]

Gallery


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • purple heron — noun : an Old World heron (Ardea purpurea) chiefly grayish with a black crown and maroon breast * * * an Old World heron, Ardea purpurea, having maroon, buff, and black plumage. [1830 40] * * * purple heron, a European heron resembling the common …   Useful english dictionary

  • purple heron — purpurinis garnys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Ardea purpurea angl. purple heron vok. Purpurreiher, m rus. рыжая цапля, f pranc. héron pourpré, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tikrieji garniai sinonimas – rusvasis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Purple Heron — purpurinis garnys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Ardea purpurea angl. Purple Heron vok. Purpurreiher …   Paukščių anatomijos terminai

  • purple heron — an Old World heron, Ardea purpurea, having maroon, buff, and black plumage. [1830 40] * * * …   Universalium

  • purple heron — noun A wading bird, Ardea purpurea, having reddish brown plumage and found throughout southern Europe and Asia …   Wiktionary

  • heron — /her euhn/, n. any of numerous long legged, long necked, usually long billed birds of the family Ardeidae, including the true herons, egrets, night herons, and bitterns. [1275 1325; ME heiro(u)n, hero(u)n < MF hairon (F héron) < Gmc; cf. OHG… …   Universalium

  • Heron — /hear on/, n. Hero (def. 2). * * * Any of about 60 species of long legged wading birds in the same family (Ardeidae) as egrets and bitterns. They are found worldwide but are most common in the tropics. They wade in the shallow waters of pools,… …   Universalium

  • héron pourpré — purpurinis garnys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Ardea purpurea angl. purple heron vok. Purpurreiher, m rus. рыжая цапля, f pranc. héron pourpré, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tikrieji garniai sinonimas – rusvasis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Great-billed Heron — Taxobox name = Great billed Heron status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Ciconiiformes familia = Ardeidae genus = Ardea species = A. sumatrana binomial = Ardea sumatrana binomial authority …   Wikipedia

  • Lou|i|si|an|a heron — «lu EE zee AN uh, LOO ih », a grayish purple heron with a white throat and breast, common in the southern United States and south to Brazil …   Useful english dictionary

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