5

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) German name(s): "Rallenreiher" Size: 40-49 cm; wing span 71-86 cm Body mass: 230-270 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.20-0.28

Europe: Family Group 5 Family Group 5 Table Great Egret Little Egret Western Cattle Egret Grey Heron Purple Heron Striated Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Squacco Heron Green Heron Eurasian Bittern Little Bittern Eurasian Spoonbill Glossy Ibis White Stork Black Stork Greater Flamingo Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names German birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Squacco Herons are small herons with a very long neck. During the breeding season, adults have a black-and-white streaked cap, with long nuchal plumes. The front, from the chin all the way to the undertail coverts, is buffy-white to creamy. The filamentary plumes on the sides and the back are light-brown. The back is pale-ochre with a violet hue. The eyes are surrounded by a turquoise-coloured skin patch. The irises are yellow. The bill has a light-blue base (half), with a black tip. The legs and feet are greyish-pink. Non-breeding adult and immature Squacco Herons have identical plumage. The head is grey (possibly with a yellowish lower mandible); the skin patch around the eyes is greyish-yellow. Also the bill is all-grey. Head, neck and front are buff, heavily streaked with brown. The back is greyish-brown. When not breeding, the legs and feet are yellow to turquoise-grey. In-flight they are easily recognized by their prominent, off-white upperwing plumage. When in an erect stance, a Squacco Heron's neck is longer than the rest of the body.

Taxonomy, classification See Squacco Heron at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Squacco Heron is available HERE . Squacco Herons are migratory. They spend the northern winters in sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar (but not in South Africa), and in the Nile valley and along parts of the north-western African coast. Part of the population also breeds in parts of that range. Others migrate to their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere, which are located in Mediterranean Africa and Europe, the "greater Middle East" (Iran, Iraq, around the southern half of the Caspian Sea, all around the Black Sea), western Turkey and south-eastern Europe, into the Balkans, and in southern central Asia. Vagrants are also reported from Italy, southern France and rarely even southern England. On their migration northward, they are also found e.g. in coastal regions of Arabia (Red Sea coastline, but also occasionally elsewhere, including at least northern Europe). In Europe Squacco Herons are found, during migration and as summer breeders, all around the Mediterranean Sea, including Mediterranean islands. Their breeding grounds are located in suitable wetlands around the Mediterranean, from central Spain and near-coastal western France (Bay of Biscay) to the northern coastline of the Black Sea and the slopes of the Caucasus mountain range. Significant inland breeding populations are also found in the Po river lowlands and around the Danube River, from parts of the Balkans into the Hungarian Pusta. Squacco Herons are usually found in wetlands, and they are sometimes content with very little water (especially outside the breeding season) for temporary shelter and sources of food.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Pires reports finding Squacco Herons regularly in south-western Portugal, not only during the summer months, but also in wintertime. S. Cuturilov reports spotting a Squacco Heron at a fish pond near Becej, Serbia, and again on another fish farm near Temerin, Serbia, in July 2017. Squacco Herons were also found by A. Sarok in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. M. Eaton reports finding a Squacco Heron in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. G. Normand reports spotting a Squacco Heron in Tirana, Albania, in August 2021. We have previously seen a Squacco Heron in Oman.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Frontal view of a Squacco Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Squacco Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2014]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron starting to moult into breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2019]

Frontal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage in an upright stance (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, October 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage, now in an upright stance (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage hunting in a shallow wetland (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage spreading its wings, showing clearly its all-white underwings
(photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage ready to pounce (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Tirana, Albania, August 2021]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage; it is hard to believe that these skinny legs can keep the bird in balance... (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2017]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage, different posture (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, October 2019]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view onto the upperparts of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Non-breeding adults (above) and immature birds have the same plumage.

Dorsal view of a Squacco Heron; given the season, this is probably not non-breeding plumage, but an immature bird
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Paul da Barroca, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, March 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Squacco Heron in flight; given the season, this is probably not non-breeding plumage, but an immature bird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Paul da Barroca, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, March 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/group

Squacco Herons are summer breeding migrants to the Mediterranean and south-eastern Europe. They nest in small colonies but are mostly found solitarily outside the breeding season.

Food, Diet

All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans).

Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage with its prey, a fish (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage with its prey, a freshwater crayfish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Squacco Heron in non-breeding plumage with its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2017]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.