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Squacco Heron
(Ardeola ralloides)
Size: 40-49 cm; wing span 71-86 cm
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 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.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Non-breeding
adult and immature Squacco Herons are almost indistinguishable
from Non-breeding
adult and immature Indian Pond Herons.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Squacco
Heron at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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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
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The global distribution of the Squacco Heron is available
HERE
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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 Arabia Squacco Herons are found mostly as winter visitors
along the Red Sea coastline, the Sinai peninsula and along a
narrow strip towards the East into the Euphrates/Tigris river
system in southern Iraq and in Kuwait.
There is one oasis at the centre of Saudi Arabia where they
are found permanently.
We have found a Squacco Heron on the North coast of Oman.
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.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
A Squacco Heron in eclipse/immature
plumage was
first spotted by us in Oman at a few water puddles in an
otherwise dry riverbed (wadi) at Qurm, near Muscat, Oman, in
December 2009.
A Squacco Heron in breeding
plumage was
seen in Europe.
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Photos |
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BREEDING |
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Photos of a Squacco Heron in breeding
plumage
were taken in Europe.
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NON-BREEDING |
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Close-up view of a Squacco Heron hunting in a shallow wetland
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Non-breeding adults and immature birds have the same
plumage.
Lateral view of a Squacco Heron
[Qurm, December 2009]
Lateral view of a Squacco Heron
[Qurm, December 2009]
This is how far a Squacco Heron can stretch its neck
[Qurm, December 2009]
A more open view reveals that a Squacco Heron really is more neck
than anything else (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
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Food, Diet |
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All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or
estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans).
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Call/s
