Goliath Heron

Goliath Heron ( Ardea goliath )

The Goliath Heron ( Ardea goliath ) is a wading bird of the heron family within the order of Ciconiiformes ( Ciconiiformes ). With a height of 135-150 centimeters, it is the largest extant heron in the world. He hunts therefore also in deeper waters than the related species with him. The distribution area is now predominantly Africa. However, no signs of a small residual population in Southeast Asia to exist.

The Goliath Heron is considered a close relative of the two Asian species Kaiser and Rußreiher.

Appearance

The Goliath heron reaches a height of up to 150 centimeters. It weighs 4300-4468 grams. The head is reddish maroon and has at the back of the head elongated feathers, which form a small tuft. The beak is very long and thick. The upper beak is blackish, the lower mandible horn color contrast. The chin and throat are white and have black stripes down the throat extending down to the upper chest. The back and wing-coverts are slate gray. In upright birds also a red-brown shoulder patch is seen. The white feathers of the upper breast are elongated lanceolate and hanging over the red-brown spot on the chest down. The legs are very long and blackish color.

Young birds resemble the adult birds. However, the maroon body parts are still somewhat paler with them.

Voice

The cries of the Goliath heron are heard up to a distance of two kilometers. The call is circumscribed onomatopoeic with kowoork. He heard mostly behind each other several times. The calls of individuals are distinguishable. Goliath herons that are frightened to call a sharp ARRK.

Area of ​​distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the Goliath heron comprises the southern and eastern Africa, and small edge regions of the Arabian Peninsula. Previously, he brooded in Iraq, Syria and Iran, in the south of Jordan and Israel; for these regions, there is no current evidence breeding more. Occasionally he is also observed in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh and Assam in India. Due to the large distance from the current main distribution area, it is estimated that there are small residual populations in India and Bangladesh, which are not documented.

In the East African wetlands, he is still common. In other East and South Africa, he is indeed a common but not numerically common species Composition for Tanzania, it is estimated, for example, 2500-4000 birds. In South Africa, he benefited from the investment of cattle watering, water reservoirs and dams. Here its spread has increased.

Its habitat includes extensive areas of shallow water along the coast and inland. The Goliath Heron is considered a very bonded to the water heron that rarely moves far away from the water.

Food and foraging

The Goliath heron usually studied alone his food and defends his territory against other dogs food. He seeks his food mostly at dusk, occasionally during the night. In search of food he walks slowly from the riparian zone deeper and deeper into the water. Nevertheless, he does frequently pause for a very long time and waits for prey enters its reach. Come prey closer, this is gripped with a quick movement of the head and neck. Its food consists exclusively of fish. He is able to capture two to three kilograms heavy fish and eat. Part of his prey is taken from him by other fish-eating often. These include ospreys and pelicans, but also the saddle-billed stork.

Reproduction

The beginning of the breeding season falls in many parts of its range with the onset of the rainy season together. However, in some regions of its range it also breeds throughout the year without a seasonal pattern can be seen. Goliath herons nest on the ground. They prefer a nesting of water surrounded islands or dense vegetation zones in the water. It was repeatedly observed that Goliath herons to abandon their nests if creates a connection to the mainland due to falling water levels. Occasionally the presence of their nest in a loose colony of alien birds such as ibises, cormorants, herons or other seagulls. However, colonies with other dogs also occur and there is evidence that the Nisterfolg in such colonies is higher than in single nesting birds.

Their nest has a diameter of up to one meter and built from reeds and twigs in the reed belt or between low, standing at the water's bushes. The female lays two to three pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both parents birds for four weeks. The young fledge at the age of six weeks.