• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	C2a(ii)	C2a(i,ii)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2016	Endangered	C2a(ii)
2012	Endangered	C2a(ii)
2008	Endangered	C2a(ii)
2006	Endangered
2004	Endangered
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	low
Land-mass type	shelf island	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	660,000 km2	medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding)	766,000 km2	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2007
Population trend	decreasing	medium	suspected	1998-2008
Generation length	10.5 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: Survey data from 2003 and 2004 combined with past literature suggests that there are no more than 1,500 individuals, roughly equivalent to 1,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: This species's population is suspected to be decreasing in line with levels of egg-collection and hunting, cutting of nesting-trees, conversion of remaining wetlands to rice-paddies, and siltation of wetlands as a result of watershed deforestation. The likely rate of population decline, however, has not been estimated.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Comoros	extant	vagrant
Madagascar	extant	native	yes
Mayotte (to France)	extant	vagrant

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Madagascar	Ambavanankarana wetland
Madagascar	Ampasindava Bay wetlands
Madagascar	Ankaizina wetlands
Madagascar	Ankarafantsika National Park and Ampijoroa
Madagascar	Ankarana Special Reserve
Madagascar	Ankobohobo wetland
Madagascar	Baly Bay National Park
Madagascar	Barren Islands MPA
Madagascar	Bemamba Wetland Complex
Madagascar	Bombetoka Bay - Marovoay NPA
Madagascar	Lake Alaotra NPA
Madagascar	Lake Ihotry - Mangoky Delta Complex NPA
Madagascar	Lakes Anony and Erombo
Madagascar	Maevatanana - Ambato-Boeny wetlands
Madagascar	Mahajamba Bay - Anjavavy Complex
Madagascar	Mahavavy - Kinkony wetlands NPA
Madagascar	Manambolomaty wetland complex and Tsimembo Classified Forest
Madagascar	Nosy Manitse Future SAPM Marine and surrounding wetlands
Madagascar	Port-Bergé Wetlands NPA and extension
Madagascar	Sahamalaza - Radama Islands National Marine Park
Madagascar	Tambohorano Wetland NPA
Madagascar	Wetlands of the Tsiribihina delta and upper Tsiribihina river

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level	suitable	resident
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes	major	resident
Marine Intertidal	Mud Flats and Salt Flats	major	resident
Marine Neritic	Coral Reef	major	resident
Marine Neritic	Estuaries	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 1500 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 3
		Stresses Competition
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species disturbance
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Soil erosion, sedimentation	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Madagascar Heron Ardea humbloti. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/madagascar-heron-ardea-humbloti on 22/12/2024.
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 22/12/2024.