466:
31:
409:
103:
430:
228:
418:
448:
78:
52:
53:
687:
726:
465:
806:
831:
661:
700:
821:
609:
304:
The black-headed heron is a large bird, standing 85 cm tall, and it has a 150 cm wingspan. It is nearly as large as the
826:
765:
622:
705:
447:
429:
731:
417:
640:
653:
471:
30:
525:
102:
453:
217:
811:
560:
487:
435:
752:
197:
375:
770:
552:
534:
213:
38:
67:
260:
97:
757:
408:
692:
739:
718:
583:
744:
539:
370:
565:
297:
with its long, sharp bill. It also hunts well away from water, taking large insects, small
816:
352:
227:
648:
635:
268:
154:
800:
783:
713:
361:
87:
82:
475:
324:
174:
627:
588:
575:
315:
The flight is slow, with the neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and
51:
674:
519:
331:, which extend their necks. The white underwing coverts are striking in flight.
279:
394:
778:
305:
275:
264:
614:
510:
328:
114:
312:
is largely grey above, and paler grey below. It has a powerful dusky bill.
301:, and birds. It waits motionless for its prey, or slowly stalk its victim.
504:
457:
308:, which it resembles in appearance, although it is generally darker. Its
256:
134:
42:
282:
in trees, reedbeds or cliffs. It builds a bulky stick nest and lays 2–4
666:
547:
316:
309:
298:
124:
679:
601:
481:
596:
439:
320:
252:
164:
294:
290:
144:
485:
283:
267:. It is mainly resident, but some west African birds
494:
395:
Species text in The Atlas of
Southern African Birds
376:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697008A93598165.en
8:
482:
289:It often feeds in shallow water, spearing
226:
76:
49:
29:
20:
374:
404:
343:
235:Distribution map of Black-headed heron
7:
654:46f0afc9-09ed-4a9f-bbb6-69737ab174e4
807:IUCN Red List least concern species
362:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
274:This species usually breeds in the
271:further north in the rainy season.
832:Taxa named by John George Children
14:
464:
446:
428:
416:
407:
101:
351:BirdLife International (2016).
319:, and distinguishes them from
1:
334:The call is a loud croaking.
259:, common throughout much of
822:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
61:Calls at dusk at a heronry
848:
251:) is a wading bird of the
234:
225:
203:
196:
98:Scientific classification
96:
74:
65:
60:
48:
37:
28:
23:
472:West Coast National Park
369:: e.T22697008A93598165.
827:Birds described in 1826
454:Serengeti National Park
423:Gathering nest material
436:Amboseli National Park
753:Paleobiology Database
393:Black-headed heron –
189:A. melanocephala
649:Fauna Europaea (new)
39:Mikumi National Park
784:Ardea-melanocephala
540:Ardea_melanocephala
526:Ardea melanocephala
496:Ardea melanocephala
355:Ardea melanocephala
248:Ardea melanocephala
207:Ardea melanocephala
68:Conservation status
24:Black-headed heron
261:sub-Saharan Africa
243:black-headed heron
794:
793:
740:Open Tree of Life
488:Taxon identifiers
239:
238:
91:
54:
839:
787:
786:
774:
773:
761:
760:
748:
747:
735:
734:
722:
721:
709:
708:
696:
695:
683:
682:
670:
669:
657:
656:
644:
643:
631:
630:
618:
617:
605:
604:
592:
591:
579:
578:
569:
568:
556:
555:
553:25A648FE397BB822
543:
542:
530:
529:
528:
515:
514:
513:
483:
468:
450:
432:
420:
411:
381:
380:
378:
348:
230:
209:
106:
105:
85:
80:
79:
56:
55:
33:
21:
847:
846:
842:
841:
840:
838:
837:
836:
797:
796:
795:
790:
782:
777:
769:
764:
756:
751:
743:
738:
730:
725:
717:
712:
704:
699:
691:
686:
678:
673:
665:
660:
652:
647:
639:
634:
626:
621:
613:
608:
600:
595:
587:
582:
574:
572:
564:
559:
551:
546:
538:
533:
524:
523:
518:
509:
508:
503:
490:
478:
469:
460:
451:
442:
433:
424:
421:
412:
403:
390:
385:
384:
350:
349:
345:
340:
221:
211:
205:
192:
100:
92:
81:
77:
70:
50:
17:
16:Species of bird
12:
11:
5:
845:
843:
835:
834:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
799:
798:
792:
791:
789:
788:
775:
762:
749:
736:
723:
710:
697:
684:
671:
658:
645:
636:Fauna Europaea
632:
619:
606:
593:
580:
570:
557:
544:
531:
516:
500:
498:
492:
491:
486:
480:
479:
470:
463:
461:
452:
445:
443:
434:
427:
425:
422:
415:
413:
406:
402:
399:
398:
397:
389:
388:External links
386:
383:
382:
342:
341:
339:
336:
237:
236:
232:
231:
223:
222:
212:
201:
200:
194:
193:
186:
184:
180:
179:
172:
168:
167:
162:
158:
157:
155:Pelecaniformes
152:
148:
147:
142:
138:
137:
132:
128:
127:
122:
118:
117:
112:
108:
107:
94:
93:
75:
72:
71:
66:
63:
62:
58:
57:
46:
45:
35:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
844:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
812:Ardea (genus)
810:
808:
805:
804:
802:
785:
780:
776:
772:
767:
763:
759:
754:
750:
746:
741:
737:
733:
728:
724:
720:
715:
711:
707:
702:
698:
694:
689:
685:
681:
676:
672:
668:
663:
659:
655:
650:
646:
642:
637:
633:
629:
624:
620:
616:
611:
607:
603:
598:
594:
590:
585:
581:
577:
571:
567:
562:
558:
554:
549:
545:
541:
536:
532:
527:
521:
517:
512:
506:
502:
501:
499:
497:
493:
489:
484:
477:
473:
467:
462:
459:
455:
449:
444:
441:
437:
431:
426:
419:
414:
410:
405:
400:
396:
392:
391:
387:
377:
372:
368:
364:
363:
358:
356:
347:
344:
337:
335:
332:
330:
326:
322:
318:
313:
311:
307:
302:
300:
296:
292:
287:
285:
281:
277:
272:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
249:
244:
233:
229:
224:
219:
215:
210:
208:
202:
199:
198:Binomial name
195:
191:
190:
185:
182:
181:
178:
177:
173:
170:
169:
166:
163:
160:
159:
156:
153:
150:
149:
146:
143:
140:
139:
136:
133:
130:
129:
126:
123:
120:
119:
116:
113:
110:
109:
104:
99:
95:
89:
84:
83:Least Concern
73:
69:
64:
59:
47:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
495:
476:South Africa
366:
360:
354:
346:
333:
314:
303:
288:
273:
247:
246:
242:
240:
206:
204:
188:
187:
175:
18:
675:iNaturalist
520:Wikispecies
801:Categories
779:Xeno-canto
338:References
329:spoonbills
306:grey heron
276:wet season
265:Madagascar
183:Species:
121:Kingdom:
115:Eukaryota
719:22697008
693:11203085
566:22697008
561:BirdLife
505:Wikidata
458:Tanzania
317:bitterns
280:colonies
257:Ardeidae
214:Children
165:Ardeidae
161:Family:
135:Chordata
131:Phylum:
125:Animalia
111:Domain:
88:IUCN 3.1
43:Tanzania
745:3596741
732:2492403
667:2480923
602:blhher1
576:blhher1
548:Avibase
511:Q220578
401:Gallery
310:plumage
299:mammals
255:family
171:Genus:
151:Order:
141:Class:
86: (
817:Herons
771:212667
758:401767
706:174787
623:EURING
615:100730
327:, and
325:cranes
321:storks
220:, 1826
218:Vigors
216:&
766:WoRMS
688:IRMNG
641:96657
628:20310
610:EUNIS
597:eBird
573:BOW:
440:Kenya
295:frogs
253:heron
176:Ardea
727:NCBI
714:IUCN
701:ITIS
680:4972
662:GBIF
589:GCJ3
367:2016
291:fish
284:eggs
269:move
263:and
241:The
145:Aves
584:CoL
535:ADW
371:doi
293:or
278:in
803::
781::
768::
755::
742::
729::
716::
703::
690::
677::
664::
651::
638::
625::
612::
599::
586::
563::
550::
537::
522::
507::
474:,
456:,
438:,
365:.
359:.
323:,
286:.
41:,
379:.
373::
357:"
353:"
245:(
90:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
