Bird Album
Black-headed Heron
Ardea melanocephala Children & Vigors, 1826
1.1 kgWeight
The black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
Busiest months: November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
Black-headed Heron has been recorded at 531 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 43 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa2,440 records
- Nairobi NPKenya1,532 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania1,203 records
More places
- Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda936 records
- Amboseli NPKenya932 records
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa890 records
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya875 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya676 records
- Serengeti NPTanzania614 records
- Tarangire NPTanzania527 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is mainly resident, but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black-headed Heron?
The Black-headed Heron weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Black-headed Heron live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread south of the Sahara. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Black-headed Heron?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Black-headed Heron endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-headed Heron as Least Concern.
What does the Black-headed Heron eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Black-headed Heron in?
It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 391 mm
- Tail
- 146 mm
- Bill
- 104 mm
- Tarsus
- 138 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread south of the Sahara
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Herons, Bitterns Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardea
Other birds in the genus Ardea
White-necked HeronArdea pacifica
Great EgretArdea alba
Yellow-billed EgretArdea brachyrhyncha
Medium EgretArdea intermedia
Plumed EgretArdea plumifera
Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis
Eastern Cattle EgretArdea coromanda
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoi
Purple HeronArdea purpurea
Humblot's HeronArdea humbloti
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by jknox78251. ↗
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