For details point at or click the
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea [Linnaeus, 1766]
Other Names
Records
Books & Links
Order:
Ciconiiformes
Family:
Ardeidae
BTO Codes:
UR , PURHE
EURING No:
1240
Number in Britain:
20 records/year
Conservation Status:
UK:
Unlisted
European:
3 Concern, most not in Europe; Declining
Global:
Least Concern
View video clips from
IBC
Status in UK:
(A) Scarce Visitor
Subspecies:
purpurea recorded in Britain (of 3 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
84 cm
Wingspan:
135 cm
Weight:
M/F: 800 g
Scientific name from:
L.: ardea =a heron
and Gr.: porphoreos =purple
World Distribution:
local in s&ec Europe, c&s Asia to Malaysia and Africa
Habitat:
Lakes, marshes, rivers, flooded fields
Diet:
Mostly fish and insects, but wide variety, mostly feeds at dusk/dawn
Records and Distribution
First Record:
1787
(Latham, J. 1781-1801. A general synopsis of birds)
Summary of Annual Totals
Distribution by County
Other Names
Gaelic:
Welsh:
Crëyr Porffor
Danish:
Purpurhejre
Dutch:
Purpurreiger
Finnish:
Ruskohaikara
French:
Héron pourpré
German:
Purpurreiher
Hungarian:
Vörös gém
Icelandic:
Rauðhegri
Irish:
Corr Chorcra
Italian:
Airone rosso
Norwegian:
Purpurhegre
Polish:
Czapla purpurowa
Portuguese:
Garça-vermelha
Spanish:
Garza imperial
Swedish:
Purpurhäger
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Voisin, C. 1991 The herons of Europe Poyser, London
[598.461 VOI]
Kushlan, J.A. & Hancock, J. 2005 The Herons Oxford University Press
[598.461 KUS]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
BirdFacts home | BTO Home birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as:
© British Trust for Ornithology, | Privacy Statement
button; for sources point at the 
button
Other Names
