Purple Heron
Purple HeronPurple HeronPurple HeronPurple Heron

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Ankarafantsika National Park
183 Verified records at Ankarafantsika National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements. It is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds. It hunts for a range of prey including fish, rodents, frogs and insects, either stalking them or standing waiting in ambush. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ankarafantsika National Park

Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

30–40% · Possible
Humblot's Heron
EN

Humblot's Heron

Bird

Ardea humbloti

<5% · Rare
Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

<5% · Rare
Squacco Heron
LC

Squacco Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardeola ralloides

60–70% · Likely
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

50–60% · Likely
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

40–50% · Likely
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

20–30% · Possible
Madagascar Pond Heron
EN

Madagascar Pond Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardeola idae

10–20% · With luck
Black Heron
LC

Black Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta ardesiaca

10–20% · With luck
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

5–10% · With luck
Madagascar Ibis
VU Endemic

Madagascar Ibis

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Lophotibis cristata

10–20% · With luck
Glossy Ibis
LC

Glossy Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plegadis falcinellus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

40–50
Jan
40–50
Feb
40–50
Mar
40–50
Apr
40–50
May
40–50
Jun
50–60
Jul
30–40
Aug
40–50
Sep
40–50
Oct
50–60
Nov
60–70
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
80–90%
2 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
60–70%
3 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
50–60%
4 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
40–50%
5 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
40–50%
6 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
30–40%
7 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
20–30%
8 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
20–30%
9 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
10 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
11 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
20–30%
12 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
13 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
14 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
15 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
16 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
17 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
10–20%
18 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
19 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
10–20%
20 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
21 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
10–20%
22 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
23 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
24 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
10–20%
25 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
26 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
27 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
5–10%
28 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
29 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
5–10%
30 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
31 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
32 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
33 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
5–10%
34 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
35 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
36 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
37 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
38 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
5–10%
39 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
40 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
<5%
41 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
42 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
43 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
<5%
44 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
45 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
46 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
<5%
47 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
48 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%
49 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
50 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
51 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
52 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
53 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
54 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
55 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
56 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
57 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
58 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
59 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
60 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
61 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
62 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
63 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
64 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
65 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
66 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
67 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
68 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
69 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
70 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
71 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
72 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
73 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
74 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
75 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
76 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
77 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
78 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
79 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
80 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
81 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
82 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
83 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
Insufficient data
84 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
85 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
86 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
87 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
88 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
89 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
90 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
91 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
92 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
93 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
94 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
95 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Purple Heron in Ankarafantsika National Park?

About 45% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Purple Heron in Ankarafantsika National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Purple Heron in Ankarafantsika National Park in our monthly data.

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