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Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloides
Identify the Squacco Heron by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.
The Squacco Heron is a small, stocky heron that breeds in southern Europe and the Middle East and winters in Africa. On the ground it looks warm buff-brown, but in flight it appears strikingly white thanks to its pale wings. It favours marshy freshwater wetlands and nests in small colonies with other herons. It is only rarely seen north of its breeding range.
Did you know?
- Perched it looks buff-brown, but in flight it looks almost entirely white.
- The name “squacco” comes from a local Italian name recorded in the 17th century.
About the species
Identification
A small, compact heron with warm buff-brown upperparts and a finely streaked neck when perched; the legs are greenish and the bill slim with a dark tip. In flight it looks white as the white wings and tail dominate. Told from Little Egret (all white, black bill and yellow feet) and Cattle Egret (mostly white even when perched, stouter yellow bill).
Family
Ardeidae
Size
Large (crow)
Colours
brown, white, orange, yellow
About the habitat
Marshes and marshy shores with reeds and quiet, vegetated wetlands in warm regions; in winter African wetlands.
Diet
Small fish, frogs and insects, picked from shallow water or wet margins.
Behaviour
Usually hunts by standing still or stalking slowly at the water's edge, often alone and close to cover; when flushed it reveals its white wings. Nests in small colonies, often with other herons, building stick platforms in trees or shrubs; the usual clutch is 3–4 eggs.
Sources
Photo: Pierre Dalous, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crabier chevelu.jpg
Text: Wikipedia (English) + GBIF regional observations + Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0; GBIF occurrence data; Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squacco_heron
