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Purple Herons are relatively large, slender herons. They have a very slim head with a purple-grey cap, nuchal plumes and malar stripes and a long, slim neck with dark stripes down the sides. Otherwise, head and neck are light-brown, with heavy dark-grey streaking down the front (lower neck, chest, belly). The back and wing coverts are purplish grey, with light-brown shoulder patches. The irises are yellow. The long, straight bill is orange-brown. The legs and feet are also orange-brown. Compared to other herons, Purple Herons have relatively short legs, but long toes, in adaptation to life in dense reeds.

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 Purple Heron is available HERE .

There are three or four races of Purple Herons, which are a partly migratory species. The range of nominate race "purpurea" extends from Africa to parts of southern and central Europe and along the northern shore of the Black Sea into Kazakhstan. It also includes parts of Turkey, the Middle East and of the Arabian coastline. The northern hemisphere breeders of this race spend the winters in tropical Africa. The other races are sedentary or locally disperse, but do not migrate. Race "bournei" of the Cape Verde Islands, which is often included in race "purpurea", is considered by some to be a separate species, "Bourne's Heron". Races "madagacariensis" and "manilensis" are found on Madagascar and in southern Asia, respectively.

Apart from a stronghold of Purple Herons, race "purpurea", in the border region of Iran and Iraq (the Eurphrates and Tigris river plains), they are found in scattered locations, often in coastal areas, of Turkey, the Middle East and Arabia. In Oman they have been found along the country's North coast.

Purple Herons have a preference for dense reeds in wetlands, around both freshwater and salt water.

Race "purpurea"