Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Herons, Egrets and Bitterns :: Purple Heron

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Described by: Linnaeus (1766)
Alternate common name(s): Cape Verde Heron
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

Sungei Buloh Nature Park, Singapore - Date unknown © Dave Behrens  Sungei Buloh Nature Park, Singapore - Date unknown © Dave Behrens  Sungei Buloh Nature Park, Singapore - Date unknown © Dave Behrens  Lac de Rillé, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France - Aug 3, 2004 © Alain Fossé  Lesvos Island, Greece - May, 2003 © Ben van den Broek 
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Range

W. Palearctic; Se. Africa and Madagascar; Oriental Region and se. Palearctic;
Fragmented populations with three main populations and small isolated populations;
Breeding colonies are widely scattered and many of the following locations may not be breeding sites, but dispersal sites;
(1) Cape Verde Is. (Sao Tiago).
(2) Madagascar. Seychelles.
(3) Pakistan, Nepal, lowlands of India, Sri Lanka, Andaman Is., Nicobar Is., s. and e. China (Mai Po Marsh, Hong Kong) to se. Siberia in s. Ussuriland, s. Ryukyu, Taiwan, Hainan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Indochina (s. Vietnam in the Mekong Delta), Sumatra, Lingga Archipelago, Java, Bali, Kangean Is., Borneo, Lesser Sundas (Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Roti), Sulawesi, Peleng Is. and Butung Is. and s. Moluccas (Buru Is.).
(4) Europe (s. Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, s. Germany, Poland, n. Italy, Switzerland, e. Austria, Czechoslovakia (Senne, w. Slovakia), Hungary (Hortobagy National Park), Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria (Poda Lagoon on the Black Sea coast), Greece, Ukraine, s. Russia (n. Black Sea in the lower Volga River valley and lower Ural River) n. to Kazakhstan and s. Kirghiz to sw. Lake Balkhash). Few colonies in nw. Africa in n. Morocco, n. Algeria, Egypt (Nile Valley), Sardinia, Turkey, Israel (Lake Huleh), se. Iraq, n. Iran and nw. Arabia. Africa s. of the Sahara except in the dry sw., Senegambia, Mali and possibly nw. Zaire. Se. Sudan, Uganda, Kenya (wetlands, breeds near Garsen and sometimes at Lake Jipe and in the Rift Valley), s. Somalia and s. in Rwanda, interior Tanzania, se. Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, w. Zimbabwe to South Africa (e. and s. Cape Province).

Videos

No videos are available for this species

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Massaciuccolis Oasis
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: ETI BioInformatics

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

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