Photo: PierreG_09 / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 1.1 kg. 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 Ardea
- Species purpurea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purple Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Purple Heron is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR, AF widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 35 cm and a tail of around 11.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 34.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purple Heron?
The Purple Heron is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Purple Heron live?
The Purple Heron is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR, AF widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Purple Heron belong to?
The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Purple Heron eat?
The Purple Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Purple Heron migrate?
The Purple Heron is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Purple 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 Purple Heron make?
1 real field recording of the Purple Heron — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purple Heron's range?
The Purple Heron has a mapped global range of about 34.9 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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