Black-headed Heron - Citizendia

Black-headed Heron

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Ciconiiformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Genus:	Ardea
Species:	A. Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 &ndash 1927 was an American Ornithologist, illustrator and artist The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Traditionally the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large long-legged wading birds with large bills Storks Herons Egrets The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons Ardea is a Genus of Herons Linnaeus named this genus as the Great Herons, referring to the generally large size of these melanocephala

Binomial name

Ardea melanocephala
Vigors & Children, 1826

The Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 &ndash October 26, 1840) was an Irish Zoologist and Politician. John George Children ( 18 May 1777 &ndash 1 January 1852 in Halstead/Kent was a British Chemist, Mineralogist The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern It is mainly resident but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability

This species usually breeds in the wet season in colonies in trees, reedbeds or cliffs. It builds a bulky stick nest and lays 2–4 eggs. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum.

It often feeds in shallow water, spearing fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. It will also hunt well away from water, taking large insects, small mammals and birds. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands It will wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.

The Black-headed Heron is a large bird, standing 85 cm tall, and it has a 150 cm wingspan. It is nearly as large as Grey Heron, which it resembles in appearance, although it is generally darker. The Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea) is a wading Bird of the Heron family Ardeidae native throughout temperate Europe and Asia Its plumage is largely grey above, and paler grey below. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures It has a powerful dusky bill.

The flight is slow, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. Bitterns are a classification of wading birds in the Heron family Ardeidae Storks are large long-legged long-necked wading Birds with long stout bills, belonging to the family Ciconiidae. Cranes are large long-legged and long-necked Birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. "Spoonbill" could also mean Northern Shoveler or Paddlefish. The white underwing coverts are striking in flight.

The call is a loud croaking.

References

BirdLife International (2004). Ardea melanocephala. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.

References

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