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Egretta ardesiaca

(Aigrette ardois?e)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Swartreier

Common Names in Czech:

Volavka Cern

Common Names in Danish:

Skyggehejre

Common Names in Dutch:

Zwarte reiger

Common Names in English:

Black Egret, Black Heron

Common Names in Finnish:

Liuskehaikara, Varjostajahaikara

Common Names in French:

Aigrette ardois?e, Aigrette Ardois, Aigrette ardoisée

Common Names in German:

Glockenreiher

Common Names in Hebrew:

אנפה שחורה

Common Names in Icelandic:

Svarthegri

Common Names in Italian:

Airone Ardesiaco, Airone Nero

Common Names in Japanese:

Kurokosagi, クロコサギ

Common Names in Kwangali:

Samunkoma Gomusavagani

Common Names in Latin:

Egretta ardesiaca

Common Names in Lithuanian:

Juodasis Garnys

Common Names in Malagasy:

Lombokoma

Common Names in Norwegian:

Skyggehegre

Common Names in Polish:

Czapla Czarna

Common Names in Portuguese:

Gar

Common Names in Russian:

зонтичная, Зонтичная цапля, Цапля африканская черная

Common Names in Slovak:

Volavka Cierna

Common Names in Slovenian:

Crna Caplja

Common Names in Spanish:

Garceta Azabache

Common Names in Swahili:

Kulasitara

Common Names in Swedish:

Svarth

Common Names in Turkish:

Kara Balik

Common Names in Zulu:

Ikuwela

Description

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Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,704 meters (0 to 15,433 feet).[1]

Ecology: Behaviour The movements of this species are little known3, 4, although it is thought to be sedentary , sometimes making local movements in response to seasonal rainfall and the appearance of temporary shallow-water feeding areas1, 3, 4, 5. The species breeds at the start of the rainy season and in periods of flooding when shallow feeding sites develop1, 4. It typically breeds in densities of 5 to 50 or up to 100 nests scattered throughout a single- or mixed-species colony . Exceptionally larger breeding colonies are observed, for example 1,500 nests were recorded at Chagana, Tanzania, and huge monospecific colonies used to form in Madagascar (over 10,000 birds where recorded at Antananarivo in 1949/50) although this no longer seems to occur1. When feeding the species may remain solitary and defend territories, or it may form feeding flocks of 5-50 individuals or more1, 2, 3 (a flock of 250 was recorded at Benamba Lake , Madagascar)1. It feeds diurnally1, 2, particularly at dusk1, and roosts communally in trees or reedbeds in both monospecific and mixed-species groups3. Habitat The species mainly inhabits lowlands, but occurs up to 1,500 m in the High Plateau Region of Madagascar1. It shows a preference for shallow, perennial3 freshwater habitats1 such as shallow lakesides1, 2, 3, dams3, ponds , flood-plains, rice-paddies1, marshes1, 3, swamps2, seasonally flooded grasslands and the edges of rivers2, 3. It can also found on alkaline lakes1 and in estuarine waters3 including mangroves , tidal mudflats1, 2, 3 and tidal creeks5, although when in such habitats it remains near freshwater inlets2. Diet The diet of this species consists predominantly of fish, but crustaceans and aquatic insects are also taken1, 2, 4. Breeding site The nest is a solid platform constructed of sticks and twigs , usually between 1 and 6 m2 high in trees, bushes or reedbeds, and always near or over water1, 4.

[2].

List of Habitats:

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Egretta ardesiaca (Wagler, 1827)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Egretta

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 30 species and subspecies in this genus:

E. alba (Great White Egret) · E. ardesiaca (Black Egret) · E. caerulea (Little Blue Heron) · E. caerulea caerulea (Little Blue Heron) · E. dimorpha (Madagascar Heron) · E. eulophotes (Swinhoe's Egret) · E. garzetta (Little Egret) · E. garzetta garzetta (Little Egret) · E. garzetta nigripes (Little Egret) · E. gularis (Western Reef Egret) · E. gularis gularis (African Reef Heron) · E. ibis (Cattle Egret) · E. ibis ibis (Cattle Egret) · E. intermedia (Yellow-Billed Egret) · E. intermedia intermedia (Yellow-Billed Egret) · E. novaehollandiae (White-Faced Egret) · E. novaehollandiae novaehollandiae (White-Faced Heron) · E. picata (Pied Heron) · (Dickey's Egret) · E. rufescens dickeyi (Dickey's Egret) · E. rufescens rufescens (Dickey's Egret) · E. sacra (Eastern Reef Egret) · E. sacra sacra (Eastern Reef Egret) · E. thula (Little White Egret) · E. thula brewsteri (Snowy Egret) · E. thula thula (Snowy Egret) · E. tricolor (Tricoloured Heron) · E. tricolor ruficollis (Louisiana Heron) · E. tricolor tricolor (Tricoloured Heron) · E. vinaceigula (Brown-Throaded Heron)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = 555.710 meters (1,823.196 feet), Standard Deviation = 878.930 based on 16,656 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
  2. BirdLife International 2009. Egretta ardesiaca. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 31 January 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012