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.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 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. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Least Concern | |
| 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) | 26,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 66700-333000 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2023 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 6 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population size is estimated at 100,000-500,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2023), which equates to 66,700-333,000 mature individuals. The overall population trend is suspected to be decreasing over three generations (18 years) (Wetlands International 2023).
Trend justification: .
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | 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 | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2530 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Other household goods | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-headed-heron-ardea-melanocephala on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.