The black heron (''Egretta ardesiaca''), also known as the black egret, is an African

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

. It is well known for its habit of using its wings to form a canopy when fishing.

Description

The black heron is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm in height), black-plumaged heron with black bill, lores, legs and yellow feet. In breeding plumage it grows long plumes on the crown and nape.

Distribution and habitat

The black heron occurs patchily through

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

, from Senegal and

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

to South Africa, but is found mainly on the eastern half of the continent and in Madagascar. It has also been observed in Greece and Italy. It prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. It may also be found in marshes, river edges,

rice fields A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-Aust ...

, and seasonally flooded

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

. In coastal areas, it may be found feeding along tidal rivers and creeks, in alkaline lakes, and tidal flats.

Habits

The black heron uses a hunting method called ''canopy feeding'' — it uses its wings like an umbrella, creating shade that attracts fish. This technique was well documented on episode 5 of the BBC's ''

The Life of Birds ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. Some have been observed feeding in solitary, while others feed in groups of up to 50 individuals, 200 being the highest number reported. The black heron feeds by day but especially prefers the time around sunset. It roosts communally at night, and coastal flocks roost at high tide. The primary food of the black heron is small fish, but it will also eat aquatic insects, crustaceans and amphibians. The nest of the black heron is constructed of twigs placed over water in trees, bushes, and

reed bed A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and estuaries. Reedbeds are part of a succession from young reeds colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground. As ...

s, forming a solid structure. The heron nests at the beginning of the rainy season, in single or mixed-species colonies that may number in the hundreds. The eggs are dark blue and the

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...

is two to four eggs.

References

External links

Black Heron - ''Egretta ardesiaca''
The BioFresh Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities
Black Egret
- '' The Atlas of Southern African Birds'' *
Video - Black Heron displaying Canopy Feeding Technique
' {{Taxonbar, from=Q392175

black heron The black heron (''Egretta ardesiaca''), also known as the black egret, is an African heron. It is well known for its habit of using its wings to form a canopy when fishing. Description The black heron is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm ...

Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa