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Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala Scientific name definitions

Albert Martínez-Vilalta, Anna Motis, and Guy M. Kirwan
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated February 2, 2014

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Field Identification

92–96 cm; 710–1650 g (1, 2). Smaller and relatively slimmer-bodied than A. cinerea, from which easily distinguished by black on head  and neck, bicoloured wing in flight (black flight-feathers and white underwing-coverts) and by shorter, deeper and obviously bicoloured bill. Somewhat variable: wings and back can be much paler, highlighting black of head and neck (including plumes); extent of white varies, some birds lacking white patch on foreneck, others with no white at all, or lower throat may be rufous in some (2); bill black above and greenish yellow on mandible, legs and feet black, and eyes yellow, turning orange and then red during breeding season, with yellow and green lores. Has very rare dark morph, which has entirely black underparts (3). Juvenile has buff-white underparts, with some rusty buff on throat and breast, and dark grey to brownish-grey crown and neck (1).

Systematics History

Closely related to A. humbloti. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Eritrea and S to South Africa.

Habitat

Largely terrestrial and associated much less with wetlands than most herons; typically found in damp, open pastureland, sometimes far from water. Also moist and partially flooded grassland , marshes, margins of rivers and freshwater and alkaline lakes (4), cultivation, estuaries, coastal areas and forest clearings. In S Africa feeds equally in terrestrial and semi-aquatic habitats. Often nests in towns or cities, e.g. Nairobi, Kampala, but in other regions (e.g. Zambia) is strictly rural and even shuns environs of villages when nesting (5). Recorded to 2300 m in Malawi (6).

Movement

Sedentary in equatorial zone; elsewhere apparently migratory, with movements related to dry seasons. In W Africa, moves N into Sahel for rains, May–Oct; in NE , E, C & SE Africa, birds migrate to drier zones during rains, e.g. in Welle District only present during dry season, moving N into Sudan to breed during rains. Juvenile dispersal can also be impressive, with one South African-bred youngster recovered 2·5 years later in Zimbabwe, c. 830 km from natal site (1). Vagrant to Cape Verde Is (first recorded Mar–Apr 2009) (7), France (late 19th century, Nov 1971) (8), S Israel/Jordan (Oct–Dec 1987) (9), Saudi Arabia (Jul 2010, Jan 2011) (10), Yemen (first recorded in Nov 1962 and suspected to breed in at least two sites) (11), Socotra (first record Dec 1998) (11), Oman (five records since 1978, some involving multiple individuals, in virtually all months except May–Jun) (12), Madagascar (two definite records, 1917, 1970) and Comoros (on Mayotte, 2006 and Nov 2007) (13); less remarkably, occasionally recorded on Zanzibar (14). Historical claims from Algeria appear very doubtful and vague (15), and a French record from 1845 is now rejected (16). May commute over 30 km between feeding grounds and roost.

Diet and Foraging

A wide range of vertebrates  and invertebrates, mostly terrestrial but also aquatic; rodents  (rates, water voles and musk-shrews) (2), insects (especially grasshoppers and locusts) (2), lizards, earthworms, blind worms (2), snakes, frogs, birds, spiders, crabs, fish; also scavenges, e.g. fish offal at market (see Family Text ). In S Africa takes mainly large rodents, but Dec–Jan also takes many birds, e.g. widowbirds Euplectes, doves Streptopelia, Oena, as well as buntings, finches, sparrows (1) and once a Red-chested Flufftail (Sarothrura rufa) (17). Birds feeding in wetlands take mainly fish and amphibians. Analysis of pellets reported that 91% contained insect remains, 61% mammals, 59% lizards, snakes and frogs, 9·5% birds, 4·5% earthworms and 4% spiders, while a similar study at breeding colony recorded that of 52 pellets, 34 contained rodent parts, 23 grasshoppers, 19 fish, 16 beetles, ten birds, five vegetable matter, four other mammals, two frogs and one crab parts, and in Zimbabwe chicks were fed lizards (Mabuya quinquetaeniata, Agama kirkii, Gerrhosaurus, Ichnotropis and Nucras spp., young Varanus niloticus), frogs (Rana spp., Pyxicephalus adspersus), snakes (Cropaphopeltis hotarnboeia, Psammophylax tritaeniatus) and rodents (Praomys and Otomys spp.) (1, 18). Fairly passive feeder , partially nocturnal (sometimes taking advantage of floodlighting) (19); generally solitary , though feeding assemblies recorded, e.g. in Zimbabwe.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Variety of harsh, squawking calls including a raucous croak or loud, nasal “kuark” away from colonies, a loud “kow-owk, kow-owk, kowk” followed by a growl, or “kwo-o-oh, kwo-o-oh” and short “kut-kut-kut” when landing on, or being relieved at nest, harsh “keh” or “kaah” in forward display, a soft “how-oo” and gentle gurgling “roo-roo-roo-roo” in stretch display, while young beg using an oft-repeated “kek-kek-kek-kek-kek”, which is higher-pitched in younger birds (1).

Breeding

Mainly during rains; in places year-round, but peak still usually during rains, e.g. Senegambia and Guinea Bissau in Apr–Jun, Mali in Mar–Aug, Ghana in May, Niger in Jul, Nigeria in Jan–Feb and Apr–Dec, Chad in Jul–Aug, Sudan in Jun–Jul, Ethiopia in Apr and Aug–Sept (4), Somalia in Jul–Feb (20), Kenya and Uganda year-round but peaks Apr–May and Oct–Nov, Tanzania in Nov–Jun, Congo year-round, Rwanda and Burundi in Apr–Jul, Malawi year round (6), Zambia in Aug–Apr (5), Zimbabwe in Aug–Apr, Mozambique in Oct–Jun, Botswana in Sept–Jan, Namibia in Jun and Aug, and South Africa year-round with regional variations (1). Colonial, normally in small mixed colonies , e.g., with A. cinerea and Bubulcus ibis (6), also African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), Long-tailed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus), African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus) (18), sometimes 200 nests or more and occasionally up to 35 nests in single tree (1). Nest of sticks lined with twigs, leaves, grass, wool and hair (50 cm × 20–30 cm, constructed over c. 15-day period, with material brought from up to 1·6 km away) (1) usually 8–30 m high in tree (e.g. eucalypts, Acacia albida, Cedrella, Cordyla africana, Sterculia appendiculata, bombax, conifer, baobab, fig, Borassus palm) (1, 6, 18), less often in reedbeds, on sandstone ledges (1) or on ground. Uusually single-brooded, but some pairs may attempt second or even third clutches (2). Clutch 2–6 pale blue eggs (average 2·3 Zimbabwe, 3·2 Nigeria), laid at two-day intervals, size 52–73 mm × 39–44 mm, mass 60 g (1); incubation 23–27 days by both adults, commencing with first egg (1); chicks have pale grey down, slight forehead crest and yellow eyes, cared for by both adults (1); fledging 40–55 days; juveniles independent at 60 days. Nest predators include African Hawk-eagles (Aquila spilogaster) and African Fish-eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer), with latter sometimes known to virtually predate entire colonies (1); breeding success reportedly low (1), e.g. in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in mixed colony with A. cinerea, some 152 chicks were recorded from 292 nests of the two species, or mean 0.52 chicks per nest, with success declining over four seasons, from 0·9 to 0·4 chicks/ nest (18).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and common, but with rather patchy distribution and no overall indications of abundance; population of Niger estimated at 1648 birds in mid 1990s (2). Throughout most of Africa is commonest of large herons and there are local reports of range expansion in recent decades (2), e.g. in Malawi (6) and Ethiopia (4). Has probably benefited from some human alterations to environment, with increase in number and extent of open and irrigated areas, as well as creation of reservoirs and dams (2). Unmolested by local people according to traditional taboos in some regions (6).

Distribution of the Black-headed Heron - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Black-headed Heron

Recommended Citation

Martínez-Vilalta, A., A. Motis, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blhher1.01
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