Chinese pond heron

Ardeola bacchus

The Chinese pond heron is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family. It is one of six species of birds known as "pond herons". It is parapatric with the Indian pond heron to the west and the Javan pond heron to the south, and these three are presumed to form a superspecies.
Ardeola bacchus Ardeola bacchus,Chinese pond heron,Geotagged,Israel,Spring

Appearance

The Chinese pond heron is typically 47 cm long with white wings, a yellow bill with a black tip, yellow eyes and legs. Its overall colour is red, blue and white during breeding season, and greyish-brown and flecked with white at other times.
Ardeola bacchus Seen for the first time in Israel Ardeola bacchus,Chinese pond heron,Geotagged,Israel,Spring

Distribution

It is found in shallow fresh and salt water wetlands and ponds in China and adjacent temperate and subtropical East Asia. Essentially a lowland bird, its range is delimited by the subarctic regions in the north, and by the mountain ranges in the west and south.
Ardeola bacchus First record ever for Israel. We are excited, since this bird's normal range is the far east. Ardeola bacchus,Chinese pond heron,Geotagged,Israel,Spring

Status

It is fairly common and not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.
Ardeola bacchus Ardeola bacchus,Chinese pond heron,Geotagged,Israel,Spring

Reproduction

The Chinese pond heron often nests in mixed-species heronries. It lays a clutch of 3–6 blue-green eggs.
Ardeola bacchus Ardeola bacchus,Chinese pond heron,Geotagged,Israel,Spring

Food

Its food consists of insects, fish, and crustaceans.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPelecaniformes
FamilyArdeidae
GenusArdeola
SpeciesBacchus
Photographed in
Israel
Macao
Malaysia