Malagasy Pond-Heron Ardeola idae Scientific name definitions

45–48 cm. Typical two-tone bill of genus separates from Bubulcus and Egretta. In breeding condition, entire plumage snow-white  , sometimes with slight buff tinge, and has long nuptial plumes on crown , upperparts and breast (1 Morris, P., and F. Hawkins (1998). Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA. Close ); at this season, separated from Bubulcus ibis by bare-parts coloration and short legs not projecting beyond tail in flight (1 Morris, P., and F. Hawkins (1998). Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA. Close ). Legs rose-pink, feet green during courtship, but entirely green-yellow or green-grey at other times (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); bill deep azure-blue with black tip , or greenish grey with black tip during non-breeding season (1 Morris, P., and F. Hawkins (1998). Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA. Close ); iris yellow; and facial skin green with some red on orbital ring (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Non-breeding adult similar to congeners, with white flight-feathers, rump and tail (1 Morris, P., and F. Hawkins (1998). Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA. Close ), and particularly dark on crown and nape and boldly streaked ; stockier than A. ralloides with heavier bill and squarer wingtip, and more frequently perches in trees than latter species (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Juvenile as non-breeding adult, but has fair amount of sooty brown on outer flight-feathers and tail; iris pale green; bill dull orange, with dark tip and culmen (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Madagascar and Aldabra, Maore (Mayotte) and Europa I. Winters in EC & E Africa, mainly in Kenya and Tanzania, but S to Mozambique and W to DRCongo.

Shallow waterbodies fringed with vegetation or with floating vegatation , including marshes, lakes, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and paddyfields. Typical forest species which takes refuge in trees when disturbed. Outside breeding season commonly along banks of small streams. Rarely found on coastal mudflats or in mangroves. From sea-level up to 1800 m in Madagascar, and recorded to at least 1650 m in mainland Africa (3 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

Migrates to C & E Africa; a few birds remain in Madagascar, but away from breeding grounds; relatively common at such sites, May–Oct. In continental Africa, present Malawi mainly early or mid Jun to Oct, but extreme dates mid Apr to mid Nov (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), while in core range of Kenya and Tanzania is present mainly May–Oct, less frequently Apr–Nov (5 Stevenson, T., and J. Fanshawe (2002). Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, UK. Close ), with a single Feb record (a bird in full breeding plumage) from Mafia I (Tanzania) (6 Britton, P. L., Editor (1980). Birds of East Africa. East African Natural History Society, Nairobi, Kenya. Close ). First-year birds apparently stay in Africa during breeding season, e.g. records in Congo and Zambia (3 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Two records from Somalia (Apr and Aug) (7 Ash, J. S., and J. E. Miskell (1998). Birds of Somalia. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) and one from Angola (Aug) (8 Dean, W. R. J. (2000). The Birds of Angola: An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 18. British Ornithologists’ Union, Tring, UK. Close ). Vagrant to most of the Comoros Is (except Mayotte, where recently discovered breeding) and the granitic Seychelles (Aug, Nov–Mar) (9 Skerrett, A., I. Bullock, and T. Disley (2001). Birds of Seychelles. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), with single record from Socotra I (Yemen), in Nov 1999, the northernmost available (10 Aspinall, S. J., Porter, R. F. and Al-Saghier, O. (2004). Four new bird species in Yemen from Socotra. Sandgrouse. 26(1): 48–51. Close ). Dispersal has undoubtedly led to the colonization of Aldabra (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

In breeding zones, fish, frogs, skinks, geckos, grasshoppers and beetles. Secretive, solitary feeder, only rarely forming flocks. On Aldabra, adults feed mainly alongside other heron species. Prey caught mainly by walking slowly or standing motionless at water’s edge, in shallow water or on floating vegetation.

A “krruk” considered to be louder, more raucous and less shrill than that of A. ralloides, as well as a “burr” in threat (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) also mentioned is a low, deep guttural croak (1 Morris, P., and F. Hawkins (1998). Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA. Close ) and a low-pitched, rattling “kek-kek-kek” (11 Sinclair, I. and Langrand, O. (1998). Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands: Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, Seychelles and the Comoros. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. Close ).

Mainly Nov–Dec (late Oct–Mar), at start of rains; on Aldabra, season inferred (from acquisition of breeding plumage) to be Nov–Mar (12 Bunbury, N. (2014). Distribution, seasonality and habitat preferences of the endangered Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae on Aldabra Atoll: 214146141469–21414612. Ibis. 156(1): 233–235. Close ). Colonial, usually in mixed colonies, especially with A. ralloides, with some recent evidence of hybridization between them; colonies formerly contained up to 1000 nests of present species. Nests in trees, bushes or shrubs near water, including Rhizopora mangrove (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), 0·5–4 m up, occasionally on islands if trees are scarce; in mixed colonies, nests of present species tend to be in higher, safer situations than those of A. ralloides; bulky nest of interlaced twigs. Normally three eggs (2–4) laid at up to three-day intervals (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), pale green-white (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), size 40–42 mm × 32–33 mm (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation c. 20 days, commencing with last egg, and by both adults (male from mid morning to mid afternoon) (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); chicks (hatch asynchronously) (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) have buffy-yellow down; start to leave nest at c. 15 days, and can feed alone at under four weeks old. Normally single clutch, but a second may be laid in Feb–Mar, at least in Madagascar (2 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

ENDANGERED. Previously considered Near Threatened. Listed on Appendix 2 of Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (13 Demey, R., Lack, P. and Webb, R. (2007). Africa Round-up: Protection for African migrants. Bull. African Bird Club. 14(1): 10. Close ). Population estimated at 1300–4000 mature individuals with, outside Madagascar, 10–20 pairs on Mayotte (Comoros), where thought to be increasing, and 15 pairs on Europa (Reunion) in 2007. Population of Aldabra estimated at c. 100 birds in 1967/68 and 20–50 pairs in 2001, with no evidence for significant change in population since then (12 Bunbury, N. (2014). Distribution, seasonality and habitat preferences of the endangered Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae on Aldabra Atoll: 214146141469–21414612. Ibis. 156(1): 233–235. Close ). Occurs throughout Madagascar; still considered relatively common locally, but more so in W than in E or S. Has declined dramatically in last 50 years and this seems to be ongoing; formerly bred throughout island, but now apparently only in W (see Family Text ). Decline thought to be due, in part, to competition with A. ralloides, which seems to be recent colonizer of Madagascar, and has adapted better to anthropogenic landscape, e.g. with transformation of wetlands into paddyfields, and intensive deforestation. However, principal threat is thought to be habitat loss, while exploitation of eggs and young is heavy at many breeding sites and appears to be increasing (although work with local communities has significantly decreased such activities in some areas), and the introduced fish Micropterus salmoides may compete for food. A Species Action Plan has been prepared (14 Demey, R., Kirwan, G. and Lack, P. (2008). Africa Round-up: Madagascar Pond Heron thrown a lifeline. Bull. African Bird Club. 15(2): 162. Close ). Uncommon to frequent in wintering zones in C & E Africa.