Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
Cramp, S. and Perrins, C.M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Cramp, S.; Perrins, C. M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N. J.; Christie, D. A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L. D. C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 26,000,000 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Value | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | increasing | suspected | - | |
| Generation length (years) | 10.5 | - | - | - |
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | extant | native | ||||
| Benin | extant | native | ||||
| Botswana | extant | native | ||||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | ||||
| Burundi | extant | native | ||||
| Cameroon | extant | native | ||||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| Congo | extant | native | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | ||||
| Djibouti | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Egypt | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | ||||
| Eswatini | extant | native | ||||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Gabon | extant | native | ||||
| Gambia | extant | native | ||||
| Ghana | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | ||||
| Israel | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Jordan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kenya | extant | native | ||||
| Lesotho | extant | native | ||||
| Liberia | extant | native | ||||
| Madagascar | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Malawi | extant | native | ||||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Mozambique | extant | native | ||||
| Namibia | extant | native | ||||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| Oman | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Rwanda | extant | native | ||||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | ||||
| Somalia | extant | native | ||||
| South Africa | extant | native | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Tanzania | extant | native | ||||
| Togo | extant | native | ||||
| Uganda | extant | native | ||||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zambia | extant | native | ||||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | major | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | major | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | breeding |
| Savanna | Dry | major | non-breeding |
| Savanna | Dry | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Ardea melanocephala. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-headed-heron-ardea-melanocephala on 26/09/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org on 26/09/2023.
