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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 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 | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 131,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 109,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 180000-380000 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2009 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 10.5 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.270,000-570,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). This roughly equates to 180,000-380,000 mature individuals. The European population is estimated at 31,600-46,000 pairs, which equates to 63,100-92,100 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2015). The European population trend is estimated to be decreasing (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Angola | extant | native | ||||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bahrain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | ||||
| Barbados | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Benin | extant | native | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Botswana | extant | native | ||||
| Brunei | extant | native | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | ||||
| Burundi | extant | native | ||||
| Cambodia | extant | native | ||||
| Cameroon | extant | native | ||||
| Cape Verde | extant | native | ||||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | ||||
| Congo | extant | native | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | ||||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Djibouti | extant | native | ||||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | ||||
| Eswatini | extant | native | ||||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gabon | extant | native | ||||
| Gambia | extant | native | ||||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | native | ||||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | ||||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | native | ||||
| Indonesia | extant | native | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Japan | extant | native | ||||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | ||||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Laos | extant | native | ||||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lesotho | extant | native | ||||
| Liberia | extant | native | ||||
| Libya | extant | native | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lithuania | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Luxembourg | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Madagascar | extant | native | ||||
| Malawi | extant | native | ||||
| Malaysia | extant | native | ||||
| Maldives | extant | native | ||||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Malta | extant | native | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Morocco | extant | native | ||||
| Mozambique | extant | native | ||||
| Myanmar | extant | native | ||||
| Namibia | extant | native | ||||
| Nepal | extant | native | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| North Korea | extant | native | ||||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Pakistan | extant | native | ||||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Philippines | extant | native | ||||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Rwanda | extant | native | ||||
| São Tomé e Príncipe | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Seychelles | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | ||||
| Singapore | extant | native | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | ||||
| Somalia | extant | native | ||||
| South Africa | extant | native | ||||
| South Korea | extant | native | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | ||||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Sweden | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Taiwan, China | extant | native | ||||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Tanzania | extant | native | ||||
| Thailand | extant | native | ||||
| Timor-Leste | extant | native | yes | |||
| Togo | extant | native | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uganda | extant | native | ||||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Vietnam | extant | native | yes | |||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | ||||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Zambia | extant | native | ||||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Moist | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 1800 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Purple Heron Ardea purpurea. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/purple-heron-ardea-purpurea on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.