Africa Wild Bird Book

[Bushveld Jock]

064. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath (Reusereier)
Orde: Pelecaniformes. Family: Ardeidae

Description
Size 140 cm. Larger than all other herons, more robustly proportioned, rufous head, crest and neck, slate-grey upperparts and rich rufous underparts. Chin and throat are white. Foreneck and upper breast are white streaked black. Long feathers on crest, neck, breast and back develop before breeding period. Long, strong, pointed bill has black upper mandible and horn below. Eyes are yellow. Long legs and feet are black (not yellowish). Both sexes are similar.
Juveniles resemble adults, but they are duller. Grey upperparts edged rufous; underparts streaked white.
Similar species: In colour it most closely resembles the Purple Heron, but it is distinguished from the Purple Heron by its large size (nearly twice as large), chestnut rather than black cap, and chestnut rather than black-streaked rufous sides of neck. Goliath Heron has an unstriped head and neck and dark legs. Purple Heron has black lines that form a pattern on its rusty head and sides of neck.

Distribution
Occurs across much of sub-Saharan Africa. In southern Africa, it is uncommon to locally common in the far south and north of Namibia (including the Caprivi Strip), northern and eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe, central and southern Botswana and central and north-eastern South Africa.



Habitat
It generally favours shallow water near the shore of large water bodies, such as lakes, estuaries, mangroves, reefs and marshes.

Diet
It mainly eats fish, doing most of its foraging among floating vegetation in shallow water, walking extremely slowly (3-4 steps per minute). When it spots prey it stops moving, coiling its neck before stabbing the prey with its bill slightly open. Once caught it takes the food item to the shore, killing the animal before swallowing it headfirst.

Breeding
Monogamous and usually a solitary nester, although it may breed in loose colonies of 2-7 breeding pairs. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a large platform of reeds, sticks and water plants, typically placed in a tall tree, on the ground of an island, on a mat of trampled reeds or in flooded bushes or trees. Egg-laying season is year-round, peaking during the wet season. It lays 2-5 pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 24-30 days. The chicks are unafraid of humans: if disturbed, they make a hissing noise and sometimes a perform threat display. They leave the nest at roughly 40 days old, becoming fully independent approximately 15 days later.

Call
Normally silent; call a raucous kowoork-kowoork.

Status
Widespread but generally uncommon resident. Competition from overfishing a severe threat away from protected areas.

[Bushveld Jock]

064. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath (Reusereier)
Orde: Pelecaniformes. Family: Ardeidae

© PRWIN

© Flutterby

© JustN@ture

© BluTuna

© BluTuna

© leachy
Kruger National Park, Shingwedzi





Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Heron Conservation
Oiseaux net: http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-goliath-heron.html

[Dewi]

065. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea (Rooireier)
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Ardeidae

Description
91 cm. Has greyish wings with rufous head and neck wich shows black streaks. The neck is snake-like, the bill thin.
Juveniles have rufous, not grey upperwings, laack the grey nape, are less streaked on the neck and have less black on the crown.
Similar species: Often confused with Goliath Heron but is much smaller, more slender and marked on the crown (crown is black, not rufous) and neck with black stripes.

Distribution
Occurs from western Europe to southern China and Indonesia, also occupying Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa. In southern Africa, it is uncommon to locally common in northern Botswana, the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), northern Zimbabwe, central and southern Mozambique and South Africa. Commoner in the South and East.



Habitat: A rather secretive bird which favours reedbeds in freshwater and estuaries. Rarely strays far into the open.

Diet
It feeds in shallow water, catching fish, frogs or insects on its long, sharp bill. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.

Breeding
Monogamous and territorial, usually breeding small colonies in dense reedbeds or stands of trees (occasionally along with other species), rarely nesting solitarily. It defends its nest against intruders by performing a variety of displays and sometimes attacking, stabbing with its bill. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a platform of bent Phragmites reeds or Bulrushes (Typha capensis), lined with reed leaves and small water plants. It is typically placed over water in a reedbed; the male chooses the site where the nest is built. Egg-laying season is year-round, peaking from July-February. It lays 2-5 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 25-27 days. Competition for food between the chicks is intense, sometimes resulting in the death of the youngest sibling. They leave the nest at about 20 days old, fledging 10-15 days later and becoming fully independent at approximately 55-65 days old.

Call
Seldom calls away from colonies; in flight a rasping kraak. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Fairly common resident.

[Dewi]

065. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

© Dewi

© Dewi

© Duke
Marievale, Gauteng

© Michele Nel


Links:
Sabap2
Heron Conservation

[Lisbeth]

066. Great Egret Ardea alba (Grootwitreier)
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Ardeidae

Great Egret ID.jpg (45.18 KiB) Viewed 1468 times

Description
Length: 85-102 cm. The largest heron of the region with large, normally yellow-orange bill. The line of the gape extends behind the eye. Legs and feet are entirely black at all times. Males and females are identical.
In breeding plumage, delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back. Breeding bird has a black bill often with a yellow base. Eyes red and lores and eye-ring emerald green; in non-breeding plumage lacks plumes and has a yellow bill.
Juvenile and immature resemble non-breeding adult.
Similar species: Differs from Yellow-billed Egret by its larger size, longer and heavier bill with gape extending behind the eye, and much longer, thinner neck, which is usually held kinked in an 'S' shape. Distinguished from Little Egret by its much larger size and black (not yellow) toes.

Taxonomy & Subspecies
The Great Egret—unlike the typical egrets—does not belong to the genus Egretta but together with the great herons is today placed in Ardea. In the past, however, it was sometimes placed in Egretta or separated in a monotypic genus Casmerodius.
There are four subspecies in various parts of the world, which differ but little. Differences are bare part coloration in the breeding season and size; the largest A. a. modesta from Asia and Australasia some taxonomists consider a full species, the Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta).:
Ardea alba alba (Europe)
Ardea alba egretta (Americas)
Ardea alba melanorhynchos (Africa)
Ardea alba modesta (India, Southeast Asia, and Oceania)

Distribution
Found across much of the world, from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia; in southern Africa, it is uncommon to locally common in central and southern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, the eastern half of South Africa and the Caprivi Strip (Namibia).

Habitat
All types of wetlands, both inland and along the coast (freshwater dams, lakes, flooded meadows, estuaries and lagoons).

Movements and migrations
Nomadic and sometimes partially migratory, as it is a summer visitor to the Western Cape and some southern African birds are thought to be non-breeding migrants from central Africa, staying from late winter to early summer.

Diet
It mainly eats eats fish (Mozambique tilapia) and amphibians, but also reptiles, birds, small mammals and insects. It forages in shallow water, standing still with its body hunched and ready to strike at any prey that comes in range. It also hunts using a technique in which stirs its feet or flaps its wings to disturb lurking animals, grabbing them when they try to escape. It may even follow Hippopos to catch animals moving away from it.

Breeding
Monogamous and colonial, breeding in colonies of up to roughly 200 nests, usually alongside other water bird species. The nest is built by the female with material delivered by the male, consisting of a saucer-shaped platform of sticks and reeds, lined with rushes and fine plant stems. It is usually placed in a reedbed or tree as high as possible, near the centre of the colony. Egg-laying season is from September-March, peaking from January-February. It lays 2-5 pale greenish-blue eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for roughly 24-27 days. The young egrets are aggressive towards one another in the nest, and the stronger siblings often kill their weaker kin. The chicks are brooded and fed by both adults and are capable of weak flight at 40 days old. They leave the colony with their parents roughly 10-20 days later.

Call
The call of the Great Egret is a raucous croak-croak which is often uttered while in flight or when disturbed and a low croaking cuk cuk cuk at the nest.
Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Fairly common resident. Nomadic in response to water levels.

[Lisbeth]

066. Great Egret Ardea alba

© Flutterby
Non-breeding plumage

© vinkie
Non-breeding plumage

© nan
Non-breeding plumage

© leachy
Breeding adult

© leachy

Links:
Species text Sabap1: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/066.pdf
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Heron Conservation
Ryan, P.G. 1999. River dance. Africa - Birds & Birding 4(4):46-49.
Oiseaux net

[Sprocky]

068. Intermediate Egret (formerly known as Yellow-billed Egret) Ardea intermedia (Geelbekwitreier)
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Ardeidae

A. i. brachyrhyncha occurs in Africa south of the Sahara and is commonly referred to as "Yellow-billed Egret" (HBW Alive, Cake et al. 2016)

Description
69 cm. A medium-sized heron with all-white plumage, generally dark legs and a thickish yellow bill. The short gape finishes below the eye. Sexes alike, male bigger than female.
When breeding, it has long plumes on the back and chest, a reddish bill, tipped orange and crimson upper legs, lower legs and feet black. Lime-green lores, bright red eyes.
Non breeding adult has a yellow bill, often tipped with brown, while the iris is yellow and the legs and feet are black.
The juvenile is similar to the non-breeding adult.
Similar species: Slightly taller than Little Egret but with yellow bill and bicoloured legs (upper legs normally yellow, lower legs and feet blackish green). Differentiated from the larger Great Egret by its noticeably shorter neck, which is not held in such a pronounced S-shape, and by the shorter bill. The gape does not extend behind the eye but ends just below it.

Taxonomy
Some taxonomists put the species in the genus Mesophoyx or Ardea.
Geographic variation in size and soft part color is recognized in three subspecies.
Subspecies brachyrhyncha is larger than nominate. Its bill is all yellow or yellow orange. Upper legs are yellow. Lower legs and feet are dark brown to black. During breeding, the bill is pink red. In courtship, lores turn bright green, irises red, and upper leg pink red. The lower legs are black with a yellow line along the side (the line tuning pink red in courtship), and the feet are black.

Distribution
The Yellow-billed Egret is found in sub-Saharan Africa, in southeastern Asia from India to Japan, and in Australasia. The subspecies occurring in Africa is E. i. brachyrhyncha. Widespread in southern Africa, but generally absent or sparse in the drier west. Common in the Okavango basin, the southwestern Cape Province, the highveld areas of the southern Transvaal and Free State, and northern coastal KwaZulu-Natal. The distribution is more scattered in Zimbabwe, northern Transvaal and KwaZulu-Natal interior.

Habitat
Shallow water margins and flooded wetlands.

Diet
Mostly fish, frogs and aquatic insects.

Breeding
Monogamous, usually nesting in mixed-species colonies of water birds, with roughly 2-70 breeding pairs of Yellow-billed Egrets scattered across the colony. The nest is built by the female with material delivered by the male, consisting of a platform of reeds and sticks, lined with grass and typically placed in a tree or reedbed. Egg-laying season is from July-March, peaking from September-February. It lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 24-27 days. The chicks are brooded and fed by both parents, leaving the nest at about 21 days old and fledging roughly 35 days later.

Call
Usually silent away from nest.

Status
Uncommon to locally common resident, wanders in response to water levels.

[Sprocky]

068. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia

© Sprocky

© Duke
Kruger National Park

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
HeronConservation. The IUCN-SSC Heron Specialist Group
James Hancock, James A. Kushlan: The Herons Handbook

[Flutterby]

069. Black Egret, Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca (Swartreier)
ORDER PELECANIFORMES. Family Ardeidae

Black Heron ID.jpg (73.43 KiB) Viewed 1471 times

Description
Dark grey (almost black) plumage with black legs and yellow feet. Sexes alike and juvenile duller and browner.

Distribution
Occurs in isolated patches of sub-Saharan Africa; in southern Africa, it is uncommon to locally common in central and southern Mozambique, eastern and central South Africa (centred on Gauteng), Zimbabwe, northern Botswana and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia. Mostly uncommon resident in the north-eastern parts of South Africa.



Habitat
It generally favours shallow, permanent water bodies such as marshes, rivers, lakes and dams, sometimes occupying seasonally flooded grassland and estuaries.

Diet
It mainly eats fish, supplemented with insects and crustaceans, using a distinctive foraging technique in which it wades through the water, intermittently forming a 'canopy' for a few seconds by touching its wingtips. The reason for doing this is still debated: it could be to eliminate reflections, lure fish to a fake hiding place or prevent prey from noticing any sudden movements. It uses this technique wherever it feeds - captive birds often form the canopy over their plate of food!

Breeding
Probably monogamous, breeding sporadically within a colony of other water birds. The nest is a platform of sticks and twigs or reeds, grass leafy branches, typically placed in a tree or reedbed, up to about six metres above ground or water. Egg-laying season is from August-April, peaking from February-April in South Africa and from August-January elsewhere in southern Africa. It lays 2-4 eggs.

Call
Low cluck.

Status
Mostly uncommon resident; regular local movements re­corded.

[Flutterby]

069. Black Egret, Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca

© leachy

© Peter Connan

© Moggiedog

© PRWIN

© PRWIN
The Black Heron feeds by day but especially prefers the time around sunset.

© PRWIN

© nan
Black Heron canopy feeding: It uses its wings like an umbrella, and uses the shade it creates to attract fish.

Links:
Sabap2
Species Text Sabap1
Heron Conservation
Oiseaux net