From Opus

Photo by Charlie M
Bangkok, Thailand, April 2004

Ardeola bacchus

[edit] Identification

47cm

• White wings
• Yellow, black tipped bill
• Yellow iris and legs

Breeding plumage: red, blue and white Alternate: greyish-brown flecked white

[edit] Distribution

Non-breeding plumage
Photo by portnoy58
Khao Sam Roi Yot, Thailand, October 2010

An East Asian bird breeding from north-east India and Burma east to southern China and north to Beijing and Japan. Has bred in Manchuria. Northern birds are migratory, wintering south to Indochina, Malaysia and Indonesia as far as Borneo.

Recorded in the Western Palearctic only in Norway in autumn 1973 and an adult in summer plumage at Hortobagy in Hungary in August 2000. The origins of these birds are unknown but the Norwegian specimen has been accepted as a wild bird. The Hungarian bird will probably also be accepted as this species is not widely kept in captivity and it appeared after a spell of hot weather with strong easterly winds, ideal for Asian vagrants.

Also accidental vagrant to St. Paul Island, Alaska.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Usually freshwater, especially paddyfields, also marshes, riverbanks and lakesides.

Photo by Neil
Hong Kong, China, January 2009

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The clutch consists of 3-6 bluish-green eggs.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, crustaceans and fish.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links