Bird Album
Black Heron
Egretta ardesiaca (Wagler, 1827)
324 gWeight
The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca), also known as the black egret, is an African heron.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Madagascar, Botswana
Where and when it's recorded
Black Heron has been recorded at 320 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 34 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Parc de TsarasaotraMadagascar1,072 records
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa597 records
- Chobe River – boat tripBotswana256 records
More places
- Lake Manyara NPTanzania222 records
- Macaneta – Wetland, dune forests and coastMozambique209 records
- Sakumono LagoonGhana202 records
- Kotu CreekGambia200 records
- RN TechnopoleSenegal193 records
- Kgomo-KgomoSouth Africa191 records
- Ankarafantsika NPMadagascar186 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 heron (Egretta ardesiaca), also known as the black egret, is an African heron. It uses its wings to form a canopy when fishing.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black Heron?
The Black Heron weighs around 324 g.
Where does the Black Heron live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread south of the Sahara. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Madagascar and Botswana.
When is the best time to see the Black Heron?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Black Heron endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Heron as Least Concern.
What does the Black Heron eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Black Heron in?
It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 324 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 245 mm
- Tail
- 88 mm
- Bill
- 69 mm
- Tarsus
- 80 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
- Egretta
Other birds in the genus Egretta
Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens
Slaty EgretEgretta vinaceigula
Pacific Reef HeronEgretta sacra
Chinese EgretEgretta eulophotes
Snowy EgretEgretta thula
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Western Reef HeronEgretta gularis
Pied HeronEgretta picata
White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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