Black-necked heron
| Black-necked heron | ||||||||||||
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Black-necked heron ( Ardea melanocephala ) |
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| Ardea melanocephala | ||||||||||||
| Vigors & Children , 1826 |
The black-necked heron ( Ardea melanocephala ) is a species of bird in the heron family . It is commonly seen in sub-Saharan Africa as well as Madagascar . It is mostly a resident bird, but some of the West African population migrate to more northerly regions during the rainy season.
The black-necked heron reaches a height of 85 cm and has a wing width of 150 cm. It is almost as big as the gray heron , which it resembles in appearance, even if it is predominantly darker in color. The plumage is dark gray on the upper side of the body, the underside of the body a light gray.
The black-necked heron breeds in colonies in trees near the water or in reeds. In areas where the gray heron is also found, they occasionally form mixed breeding colonies. The clutch consists of two to four eggs that are hatched in 25 to 28 days.
Unlike the purple or gray heron, the black-necked heron also likes to hunt away from the water. In addition to fish and frogs, it also eats small mammals and other birds. Often you can see it lying in wait for prey, motionless.
literature
- James A. Kushlan & James A. Hancock: Herons. Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0198549814 .
Web links
- Ardea melanocephala in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Ardea melanocephala in the Internet Bird Collection