Chinese Pond Heron

Chinese Pond Heron

Ardeola bacchus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Nanning

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

31 Verified sightings at Nanning
3,143 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Chinese Pond Heron

The Chinese pond heron (Ardeola bacchus) is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family, (Ardeidae). It is one of six species of birds known as "pond herons" (genus Ardeola). It is parapatric (or nearly so) with the Indian pond heron (A. grayii) to the west and the Javan pond heron (A. speciosa) to the south, and these three are presumed to form a superspecies. As a group they are variously affiliated with the squacco heron (A. ralloides) or the Malagasy pond heron (A. idae). As of mid-2011 there are no published molecular analyses of pond heron interrelationships and osteological data is likewise not analyzed for all relevant comparison taxa.

The Chinese pond heron is typically 47 cm (19 in) long with white wings, a yellow bill with a black tip, yellow eyes and legs. Its overall colour is red, blue and white during breeding season, and greyish-brown and flecked with white at other times.

It is found in shallow fresh and salt water wetlands and ponds in China and adjacent temperate and subtropical East Asia. Essentially a lowland bird, its range is delimited by the subarctic regions in the north, and by the mountain ranges in the west and south.... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:10

China · 2021

© Geoff Carey · XC794055 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:09

Thailand · 2017

© Agris Celmins · XC671699 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Flight call0:10

China · 2026

© Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · XC1097793 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~40%
2 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
3 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
4 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
5 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
6 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
7 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
8 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
9 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Xiuying District 🇨🇳 China
~80%
2 Quanzhou 🇨🇳 China
~70%
3 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~60%
4 Shantou 🇨🇳 China
~50%
5 Hanoi 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~50%
6 Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~50%
7 Đà Nẵng 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~50%
8 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~50%
9 Kunming 🇨🇳 China
~40%
10 Fuzhou 🇨🇳 China
~40%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Vinpearl Safari 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
2 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Chinese Pond Heron in Nanning?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Pond Heron sighting in Nanning on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 45 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Chinese Pond Heron in Nanning?

June and November–December

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Pond Heron in Nanning on a given day, against about 20% in February–March and May, the lowest months. January and July–August have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Chinese Pond Heron?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chinese Pond Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Nanning the best place to see a Chinese Pond Heron?

11th of 48

Of the 48 cities where we can rate Chinese Pond Heron sightings, Nanning ranks 11th at about 30%. The best odds are in Xiuying District (China, about 80%), Quanzhou (China, about 70%) and Tuen Mun (China, about 60%).

Which relatives of the Chinese Pond Heron live in Nanning?

Same family: Ardeidae

The closest relatives of the Chinese Pond Heron that you can see in Nanning (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Little Egret (about 30%), Black-crowned Night Heron (about 30%) and Grey Heron (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Chinese Pond Heron sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Chinese Pond Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Nanning (31 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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