Chinese Pond-Heron
Ardeola bacchus
Often mistaken for an egret in flight due to its all-white wings, but the dark head separates it from any egret. This medium-sized heron is found across many different marshy habitats. Breeding adults have a chestnut head, neck, and breast, and a veil of bluish-black plumes over the white wings. Nonbreeding adults and juveniles are brown all over save for the white wings. In areas where the ranges of multiple pond-heron species overlap, nonbreeders and juveniles are best left unidentified.
Identification
The Chinese pond heron (Ardeola bacchus) is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family, (Ardeidae). It is one of six species of birds known as "pond herons" (genus Ardeola). It is parapatric (or nearly so) with the Indian pond heron (A. grayii) to the west and the Javan pond heron (A. speciosa) to the south, and these three are presumed to form a superspecies. As a group they are variously affiliated with the squacco heron (A. ralloides) or the Malagasy pond heron (A. idae). As of mid-2011 there are no published molecular analyses of pond heron interrelationships and osteological data is likewise not analyzed for all relevant comparison taxa.
Taxonomy
Genus: Ardeola; Family: Ardeidae; Order: Pelecaniformes.
- Scientific name
- Ardeola bacchus
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1855)
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardeola
Range and habitat
Breeding range: OR : Assam (ne India) and n Myanmar through Russian Far East, Japan and s China. Non-breeding range: Andaman Is. e to Ryukyu Is. (s Japan) s to Greater Sundas.
- Breeding range
- OR : Assam (ne India) and n Myanmar through Russian Far East, Japan and s China
- Non-breeding range
- Andaman Is. e to Ryukyu Is. (s Japan) s to Greater Sundas
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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