Javan Pond Heron

Ardeola speciosa (Horsfield, 1821)

45 cmLength81 cmWingspan253 gWeight

It is a pond heron patterned in orange, gray-blue and white in the breeding season, and rufous with white patches in the non-breeding season.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines

Looks like Chinese Pond Heron, Indian Pond Heron

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

White wings
Yellow bill with a black tip
Yellow eyes and legs
Patterned in orange, gray-blue and white in the breeding season

Similar species

Chinese Pond Heron

Non-breeding plumage is very similar to that of Chinese Pond Heron, making them almost indistinguishable in the field.

Indian Pond Heron

Non-breeding plumage is very similar to that of Indian Pond Heron, making them almost indistinguishable in the field.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines

Javan Pond Heron has been recorded at 237 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 12 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Lat Krabang – Thap Yao paddies & aquaculture pondsThailand763 records
Nusa Dua WTPIndonesia669 records
Bang Pu – Recreation CenterThailand578 records

More places

Pak Thale Nature ReserveThailand465 records
Rot Fai ParkThailand455 records
Pathum Thani Rice Research CenterThailand417 records
Muara Angke NR – northern sectionIndonesia360 records
Panabo Coastal RoadPhilippines356 records
Muara Angke NRIndonesia347 records
Salt PansIndonesia334 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Thailand Indonesia Philippines Cambodia Malaysia Singapore China Cocos (Keeling) Islands

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 Javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa) is a wading bird of the heron family, found in shallow fresh and salt-water wetlands in Southeast Asia. Its diet comprises insects, fish, and crabs.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Javan Pond Heron?

The Javan Pond Heron is about 45 cm long, with a wingspan of 81 cm and weighs around 253 g.

Where does the Javan Pond Heron live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Thailand through Philippines, Sulawesi region and Lesser Sundas. It is most often recorded in Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.