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Sunday, 25 August 2019

25-8-2019 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - SQUACCO HERON (Ardeola ralloides)


The Squacco Heron is a mid-sized wading bird with a distinctive crest and buff-colored breeding plumage that turns mostly white in flight. It lives in freshwater wetlands with dense vegetation, hunts in twilight for fish, amphibians, and insects, and uses a "stake" posture to remain still and blend into its surroundings. These herons are found in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with a migratory pattern that takes them to tropical Africa for the winter. 

This is a stocky species with a short neck, short thick bill and buff-brown back. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Its appearance is transformed in flight, when it looks very white due to the colour of the wings. The squacco heron's breeding habitat is marshy wetlands in warm countries.