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$Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) adult in flight\n\nLagoa dos Salgados, Algarve, Portugal April$

Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) flying away with Water Lily in the background in the early morning in the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia

Purple heron at nest with chicks (Ardea purpurea)

Elegant Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea, gracing the wetlands of France with its distinctive plumage.

Stork bird sitting in a dead tree with clear blue sky background, outback Australia

wildlife in Chobe National Park, Botswana, Africa

$Purple Heron.\nThe purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements.\n\nIt is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds. It hunts for a range of prey including fish, rodents, frogs and insects, either stalking them or standing waiting in ambush.\n\nPurple herons are colonial breeders and build a bulky nest out of dead reeds or sticks close to the water' edge among reeds or in dense vegetation. About five bluish-green eggs are laid and are incubated by both birds. The young hatch about four weeks later and fledge six weeks after that. The International Union for Conservation of Nature notes that the global population trend is downwards, largely because of the drainage of wetlands, but assesses the purple heron's conservation status as being of \$

purple heron ( Ardea purpurea ) in flight, isolated over white

Indian purple heron (Ardea purpurea) flies over the Jawai River, Rajasthan, India

Grey Heron in Kenya, East Africa bird. Grey body and head feathers with white neck feathers. Yellow eyes and bill.

Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) in Borneo island,Malaysia

$Black-headed Heron.\nThe black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is mainly resident, but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season.\n\nThis species usually breeds in the wet season in colonies in trees, reedbeds or cliffs. It builds a bulky stick nest, and lays 2–4 eggs.\n\nIt often feeds in shallow water, spearing fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill. It will also hunt well away from water, taking large insects, small mammals, and birds. It will wait motionless for its prey, or slowly stalk its victim.\n\nThe black-headed heron is a large bird, standing 85 cm tall, and it has a 150 cm wingspan. It is nearly as large as the grey heron, which it resembles in appearance, although it is generally darker. Its plumage is largely grey above, and paler grey below. It has a powerful dusky bill.\n\nThe flight is slow, with the neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The white underwing coverts are striking in flight.\n\nThe call is a loud croaking.$

The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic

Close shot of a female little bittern with a beautiful bokeh in the background.

A Purple Heron in the swamps of the Danube Delta

$L70-90cm, WS 120-138cm.\nBreeds in colonies at extensive, shallow swampy lakes with reed beds.\nForages in swallow water in gaps among reeds and along rivers, or more in open in wet meadows.\nSummer visitor (mostly Apr-Oct), wintering in tropical Africa.\nFeeds on fish, frogs and insects.\nNests in reeds or trees.\n\nThis is not a very common Heron in the Netherlands, but can be seen in numbers in the described Habitats.$

An adult purple heron (Ardea purpurea) in breeding plumage photographed in the reeds and in flight against a blue sky

$Goliath Heron.\nThe Goliath heron (Ardea goliath), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller, declining numbers in Southwest and South Asia.$

A graceful juvenile Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) standing in a grassland

Citrine Wagtail contemplating lookin at Purple Heron and Great Egret. With mere a 19cm in size, Citrine Wagtail looks towards the massive Purple Heron and the Great Egret which is at some distance behind Purple heron.

A Bare-throated tiger-heron hunting in a pond on a beach in Costa Rica.

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