Pond heron
Rallenreiher ( ardeola ralloides )
Schopf (Ardeola ) are a genus of birds of the heron family. These are medium-sized heron with a height between forty and fifty and a wingspan of 80 to 100 centimeters. Crested herons are found exclusively in the Old World. One of the major distribution areas, the Rallenreiher, it includes southern Europe and parts of Asia and much of Africa.
Appearance
The physique of most crested heron is strong. They have a relatively short neck, a short, powerful beak and are often yellow-brown to brownish. An exception is the rare Fiordland heron, wearing a pure white breeding plumage. The characteristic of crested heron plumage coloration, however, he shows in the plumage. Many of the species have at the front neck or the neck of a striation. Most species have in the breeding season extended feathers on the neck and at the back. In flight, many species act predominantly white because, apart from Rotbauchreiher, have white wings.
Habitat and behavior
The habitat of the crested herons are wetlands. They nest in colonies and are then often associated with other types. The Thick-billed heron brooded often in colonies, which included more than 700 breeding pairs prior to the sharp population decline. The nests are built in shrubs or trees. The clutch typically comprise between two and four eggs. The diet consists of insects, fish and amphibians. You often find them on smaller wetlands. Some species such as the Rotbauchreiher also benefit from the system of rice fields. In the Thick-billed heron, however, the increased rice production is considered to be one of the causes for its strong population decline.
Species
The following species are counted among the crested herons:
- Rallenreiher, ardeola ralloides
- Paddy Heron, ardeola grayii
- Bacchus herons, ardeola bacchus
- Splendor herons, ardeola speciosa
- Thick-billed heron, ardeola idae
- Rotbauchreiher, ardeola rufiventris