Features& Description
The Purple Heron, whose Latin name is “Ardea purpurea”, is a bird with purplish-brown plumage, whose gray wings contrast with its rather rufous chest, featuring black streaks on a white neck. Its long, pointed beak is yellow in color. It has very long toes at the end of its legs, enabling it to walk on floating vegetation, unlike other ardeids of its size.
Habitat(Biotope)
Living mainly on the shores of lakes and extensive reedbeds, it prefers open wetlands with vegetation for breeding.
Behavior& habits
Very territorial by nature, it vigorously defends its territory by imposing its size and plumage after puffing it up and ruffling the black crest on the top of its head. It spends most of its time in the reed beds, hunting alone for fish and amphibians that come within range. Very discreet, it almost never shows itself completely…
Reproductionand immature
Nesting in small colonies in reedbeds, it can be seen on the lake in the area known as “La Héronnière” near the embankment road. The nest is large, made mainly of reeds and twigs, one meter above the ground.
Incubation lasts between 25 and 30 days, and there are often 3 to 5 eggs. The young are fed by the parents by regurgitating fish caught in the nest for ten days, then in the vicinity for over two months before leaving the nest for good.
Cryor Voice
Generally a silent bird, it can emit a squeaky “Krrek” similar to that of the Grey Heron, but higher up.
Purple Heron
