Chinese Pond Heron

The Chinese Pond Heron is one of the freshwater birds of the heron family. Measuring about 47 cm in length, it has white wings, a yellow bill with a black tip, yellow eyes, and legs. The Latin name for Chinese Pond Heron is Ardeola Bacchus. They are East Asian wading birds.

These lowland birds are commonly found in China and adjacent temperate and subtropical East Asia. You can find them in shallow fresh and saltwater wetlands and ponds. Chinese Pond Herons are delimited in range by the subarctic regions in the north, and by the mountain ranges in the west and south.

It is one of the six species of birds known as ‘pond herons.’ It is supposed to form a superspecies with the Indian and Java pond herons. In the extreme west of its range, it overlaps and nests in the same colonies as the Indian Pond-Heron. The general color of the Chinese pond heron is red, blue, and white during the breeding season. During other times it is grayish-brown flecked with white. It flies with rapid wing beats, its head tucked back. In-flight, the bird appears white due to its wings and despite its general darkness. The Chinese Pond heron is distinguished from Cattle Egret by being darker. It differs from the Java Pond Heron by its chestnut head (not golden), chestnut breast, and chestnut crest plumes. Non-breeding birds or juveniles are difficult to distinguish from other pond herons. Immature or non-breeding Chinese pond herons are distinguishable from the Java Pond Heron by being larger, with a larger bill, and having darker tips to the flight feathers.

The Chinese Pond Heron is primarily found and observed in rice fields, shallow aquatic habitats such as marshes, swamps, riverbanks, mangroves, tidal pools, streams, and dry grassland. Fishponds are the most important and common habitat for the younger birds. Chinese Pond Heron is found from sea level to comparatively high altitude in Thailand. It breeds from east India (Assam, Manipur), Bangladesh, central and east China (Shanxi, northwest Kansu, Neimongol, Liaoning, Jilin, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan), Russia, Andaman Islands, north Myanmar, Indochina. There is a single breeding incident recorded in North Japan. The non-breeding range is south China (to Hainan and Taiwan), Japan (rarely Kanagawa, Ryukyu Islands), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Andaman Islands, Malaysia (peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak), Brunei, Indonesia (lowlands of north Sumatra, Kalimantan), Philippines (Luzon, Mindanao, Negros). It is difficult to ascertain the exact wintering range given that it overlaps other pond herons. Northern birds are migratory, moving south to and through south China in September–October. Indian and more southern birds are sedentary, with some local movement.

The Chinese Pond heron feeds by standing and walking. It is slow and has thoughtful movements while feeding. It also dives from overhanging branches or forages within trees for flies. Chinese Pond Heron feeds commensally with otters. It feeds in solitary or in pairs. They feed on insects, fish, and crabs (crustaceans). It also occurs in a flock of up to six birds. It feeds crepuscularly, roosting during midday, but there also are observations of feeding during the day. It roosts in mixed-species roosts, flying to roost in the evening, flying to the roost in small groups of 2 or 3 birds. Insects including flies, aquatic insects, mollusks, worms, fish, frogs, and small birds are part of the diet of the Chinese Pond Heron.

The Chinese Pond-Heron breeds in May–August in India, April–July in China. It nests in trees and bushes next to or near marshes, swamps, rivers and ponds, in mixed species colonies with night herons and Little Egrets. Nests are made of small sticks, sometimes lined with leaves and grass. They are placed high in trees, often near the top.They also nest in bamboo. The eggs of the Chinese Pond Heron are green blue. Not much is known about their mating habits or activities. The Chinese Pond-Heron is typically double brooded. A second clutch is laid soon after the first young have become independent. Incubation is 18-22 days, with both parents brooding the eggs. Both parents feed the nestlings. Chicks can have their food stolen by mynas. They are fledglings till 30 days, then growing fast. They are independent by 36 days.

This is a common bird in its range and one that has acclimatized to the human environment by using rice fields and other artificial habitats. The use of these is now likely critical to population stability. The loss of fish pond habitat led to a decrease of herons in Hong Kong. The management of occupied wetlands, including artificial environments occupied by the birds, is a critical conservation measure for the long-term stability of the populations. Eggs and birds are taken for food in China. However, the range expansion of the Chinese Pond Heron continues despite these losses.