Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle_1389/ / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chinese Pond Heron
Ardeola bacchus
Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 305 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Ardeidae Herons, Bitterns
- Genus Ardeola
- Species bacchus
Where it lives
Assam (northeastern India) and northern Myanmar through Russian Far East, Japan and southern China
Quick facts
- Weight
- 305 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chinese Pond Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Chinese Pond Heron is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) belongs to the Ardeidae family of the order Pelecaniformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR Assam (ne India) and n Myanmar through Russian Far East, Japan and s China.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 305 g, with a wing length of about 21.3 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chinese Pond Heron?
The Chinese Pond Heron is a large bird that weighs around 305 g.
Where does the Chinese Pond Heron live?
The Chinese Pond Heron is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR Assam (ne India) and n Myanmar through Russian Far East, Japan and s China, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Chinese Pond Heron belong to?
The Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Chinese Pond Heron eat?
The Chinese Pond Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Chinese Pond Heron migrate?
The Chinese Pond Heron is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Chinese Pond Heron endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Chinese Pond Heron make?
1 real field recording of the Chinese Pond Heron — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Chinese Pond Heron's range?
The Chinese Pond Heron has a mapped global range of about 5.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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