Rufous-bellied Heron
Ardeola rufiventris
Small, dark, chunky heron. There are rufous patches on the wing and belly; this can be hard to see when perched but is conspicuous in flight. Found in thickly vegetated wetlands, ranging from flooded grasslands to swamps. Usually solitary. Fairly shy but will sometimes stand in the open. Shares dark coloration with Black Heron, but has chestnut patches, all-yellow legs, and a yellow base to the bill.
Identification
This is a small dark species of heron with a dark grey head, back and breast contrasting with a rufous belly, wings and tail. When seen in flight the bright yellow legs and feet contrast with the dark feathers of the underside of the body. Juveniles are paler and browner, darkening as they mature.
Taxonomy
The rufous-bellied heron was formally described in 1850 by the Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall from specimens collected along the Mooi River near Potchefstroom in South Africa. Sundevall coined the binomial name Ardea rufiventris. The specific epithet rufiventris combines Latin rufus meaning "ruddy" or "rufous" with venter, ventris meaning "belly". The rufous-bellied heron is now placed in the genus Ardeola that was introduced in 1822 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Ardeola rufiventris
- Authority
- (Sundevall, 1850)
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardeola
Range and habitat
It is found in eastern, central and southern sub-Saharan Africa widespread although absent from the arid south-west and is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<p>It is found in seasonally flooded grasslands, marshes, flood-plains and inland deltas (e.g. the Okavango Delta), shallow water along riverbanks and lake shores, stands of papyrus, reedbeds and paddies.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
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