LC
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides



Taxonomy

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2018 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
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass 287 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 54,300,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 37,500,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2012
Population trend unknown - suspected -
Generation length 6.7 years - - -

Population justification: The global population is estimated at 370,000-780,000 (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 15,000-25,900 pairs, which equates to 30,000-51,700 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).

Trend justification: The overall population trend is unclear, some populations are thought to be stable and others may be increasing or decreasing (Wetlands International 2015). The European population trend is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International 2015).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant vagrant
Albania extant native yes yes
Algeria extant native
Angola extant native
Armenia extant native yes
Austria extant native yes
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Bahrain extant native yes
Belarus extant vagrant
Belgium extant vagrant
Benin extant native
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Botswana extant native
Bulgaria extant native yes yes
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cameroon extant native
Cape Verde extant vagrant
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
Comoros 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
Denmark extant vagrant
Djibouti extant native
Egypt extant native yes
Equatorial Guinea extant native
Eritrea extant native
Eswatini extant native
Ethiopia extant native
Finland extant vagrant
France extant native yes yes
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Georgia extant native yes yes
Germany extant native yes
Ghana extant native
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes yes
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native yes
Hungary extant native yes
Iceland extant vagrant
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
Jordan extant native yes yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kenya extant native
Kuwait extant native yes yes
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Lesotho extant native
Liberia extant native
Libya extant vagrant
Liechtenstein extant vagrant
Luxembourg extant vagrant
Madagascar extant native
Malawi extant native
Mali extant native
Malta extant native
Mauritania extant native
Mauritius extant vagrant
Mayotte (to France) extant native
Moldova extant native yes
Montenegro extant native yes yes
Morocco extant native
Mozambique extant native
Namibia extant native
Netherlands extant vagrant
Niger extant native
Nigeria extant native
North Macedonia extant native yes
Oman extant native yes yes
Palestine extant native yes
Poland extant vagrant
Portugal extant native yes
Qatar extant native yes yes
Romania extant native yes yes
Russia extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes
Rwanda extant native
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native
Serbia extant native yes yes
Seychelles extant native
Sierra Leone extant native
Slovakia extant native yes
Slovenia extant native
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native yes
South Sudan extant native yes yes
Spain extant native yes yes
Sudan extant native
Sweden extant vagrant
Switzerland extant native
Syria extant native yes yes
Tanzania extant native
Togo extant native
Tunisia extant native
Türkiye extant native yes yes
Turkmenistan extant native yes
Uganda extant native
Ukraine extant native yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes yes
United Kingdom extant vagrant
Uzbekistan extant native yes
Western Sahara extant native
Yemen extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Armenia Metsamor
Azerbaijan Aggyol
Azerbaijan Gizilagach
Azerbaijan Kura Delta
Azerbaijan Lake Mahmudchala
Azerbaijan Lake Sarysu
Bosnia and Herzegovina Hutovo blato
Botswana Okavango Delta
Bulgaria Belene Islands Complex
Bulgaria Ibisha Island
Bulgaria Kalimok Complex
Bulgaria Mandra-Poda complex
Bulgaria Pozharevo Island
Bulgaria Ropotamo Complex
Bulgaria Srebarna
Cameroon Logone flood-plain
Chad Lake Chad
Chad Lake Fitri
Croatia Grudnjak and Nasice Carp Fishponds
Croatia Jelas Field
Croatia Podunavlje and Lower Podravlje
Egypt Lake Manzala
France Camargue
France La Dombes
France Marais entre Crau et Grand Rhône: Meyranne, Chanoine, Plan de Bourg et Salins du Caban
France Petite Camargue fluvio-lacustre
Greece Amvrakikos gulf
Greece Axios, Loudias and Aliakmonas rivers' deltas
Greece Lake Ismarida (Mitrikou)
Greece Lake Kastoria
Greece Lake Kerkini
Greece Prespa National Park and Varnountas mountains
Guinea-Bissau Lagoas de Cufada
Hungary Bodrogzug–Taktaköz
Hungary Flood plain of Tiszaalpár
Hungary Hortobágy and Tisza-to
Hungary Kesznyéten
Hungary Lake Kis-Balaton
Hungary Lower Tisza Valley
Hungary Péteri Lake
Iran, Islamic Republic of Anzali Mordab complex
Iran, Islamic Republic of Arjan Protected Area
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Kobi
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lavandavil Wildlife Refuge
Iran, Islamic Republic of Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay
Iran, Islamic Republic of Seyed Mohalli, Zarin Kola and Larim Sara
Iran, Islamic Republic of Shadegan marshes and tidal mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa
Israel Carmel coast
Italy Biviere and Plain of Gela
Italy Codigoro heronry
Italy Fucecchio marsh
Italy Iolanda di Savoia wetlands
Italy Lakes Montepulciano and Chiusi
Italy Lomellina and Heronries of Pavia province
Italy Po Delta
Italy Pools of Florence plain
Italy Punte Alberete and Valle della Canna, Pineta San Vitale and Pialassa della Baiona
Italy Simeto mouth and middle course and Biviere di Lentini
Italy Ticino river
Italy Valle Bertuzzi and Goro lagoon
Italy Valli Bolognesi
Italy Valli di Argenta
Italy Vercelli rice-fields
Mali Lac Débo - Lac Oualado Débo
Mauritania Diawling National Park
Montenegro Bojana Delta
Montenegro Lower Moraca and Podgorica
Montenegro Niksicko polje
Montenegro Skadar Lake
Montenegro Ulcinj saltpans
Portugal Paul do Boquilobo
Romania Allah Bair - Capidava
Romania Balta Mică a Brăilei
Romania Balta Vederoasa
Romania Bistreţ
Romania Blahniţa
Romania Braţul Borcea
Romania Comana
Romania Dăbuleni - Grinduri
Romania Danube Delta
Romania Dunăre - Olteniţa
Romania Dunăre - Ostroave
Romania Dunărea Veche (Braţul Măcin)
Romania Gruia - Gârla Mare
Romania Lake Beibugeac (Plopu)
Romania Lake Bugeac
Romania Lake Dunăreni
Romania Lake Oltina
Romania Olteniţa - Ulmeni
Romania Ostrovu Lung - Gostinu
Romania Vedea - Dunăre
Russia (European) Chechen' Island and east seaside of Agrakhan peninsula
Russia (European) Delta of the River Don
Russia (European) Shapsugsko-Takhtamutaiskaya rice-irrigation system
Russia (European) Southern Agrakhan lake
Russia (European) Varnavinsko-Kryukovskaya irrigation system
Russia (European) Volga Delta
Senegal Djoudj wetlands
Senegal Lac de Guiers
Senegal Ndiaël basin (including the Trois Marigots)
Senegal Niayes (from Dakar to St Louis)
Serbia Becej fish-pond
Serbia Gornje Potamisje
Serbia Labudovo okno
Serbia Srednje Potamišje
Serbia Subotica lakes and sandy terrain
South Africa Nyl River Floodplain
South Sudan Sudd (Bahr-el-Jebel system)
Spain Albufera de Valencia marshes
Spain Ebro delta
Spain El Hondo wetland
Spain Guadalquivir marshes
Spain Santa Pola salt-pans
Spain Tablas de Daimiel marshes; 'Vicario' and 'Gasset' reservoirs and Malagón lakes
Türkiye Akşehir and Eber Lakes
Türkiye Ereğli Plain
Türkiye Göksu Delta
Türkiye Hotamış Marshes
Türkiye İron Marshes
Türkiye Işıklı Lake
Türkiye Köyceğiz Lake
Türkiye Manyas Lake (Kuş Lake)
Türkiye Marmara Lake
Türkiye Meriç Delta
Türkiye Mogan lake
Türkiye Sultan Marsh
Türkiye Uluabat Lake
Türkiye Yeşilırmak Delta
Ukraine Dnipro delta
Zambia Bangweulu Swamps
Zambia Kafue Flats

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Marine Neritic Estuaries suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Estuaries suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major breeding
Altitude 0 - 2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Other household goods subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/squacco-heron-ardeola-ralloides 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.