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Chinese Pond Heron

Ardeola bacchus

Brown and streaky on the ground, it suddenly flashes white wings when it flies. In spring it grows a chestnut head and a dark slate back.

Where to see it for real: Watches for fish from the edges of ponds and rice fields.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Garden pond habitat (East Asia, at the Summer Palace in Beijing).

Chinese Pond Heron, Ardeola bacchus
Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

Chinese Pond Heron facts

Family
Herons and egrets
Length
19 in (47 cm)
Weight
9.9 oz (280 g)
Diet
Fish, frogs, crabs and insects.
Range
East and Southeast Asia, from China and Korea to Thailand and Borneo.
Nest
A platform of sticks in a tree, in a colony.
Song
Mostly silent; a harsh squawk when flushed.
Active
at dawn, by day and at dusk
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Chinese Pond Heron sounds like

Recording 1: Sudipto Roy, CC BY-SA 3.0, original on Wikimedia Commons. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

More: bird songs and calls.

More birds of the garden pond

Mandarin DuckMandarin DuckGarden pondCommon KingfisherCommon KingfisherGarden pondLittle EgretLittle EgretGarden pondBlack-crowned Night HeronBlack-crowned Night HeronGarden pondAzure-winged MagpieAzure-winged MagpieGarden pondLight-vented BulbulLight-vented BulbulGarden pond

Spot the Chinese Pond Heron yourself

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