Ardeola bacchus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 8 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xiuying District | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Quanzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Shantou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Hanoi | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Đà Nẵng | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 8 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Kunming | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 10 | Fuzhou | 🇨🇳 China |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vinpearl Safari | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Pond Heron sighting in Suzhou on a given day, based on 176 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 40th most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Pond Heron in Suzhou on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month. That is one of Suzhou's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 45 mm in December.
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.
22nd of 48
Of the 48 cities where we can rate Chinese Pond Heron sightings, Suzhou ranks 22nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Xiuying District (China, about 80%), Quanzhou (China, about 70%) and Tuen Mun (China, about 60%).
Same family: Ardeidae
The closest relatives of the Chinese Pond Heron that you can see in Suzhou (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Little Egret (about 70%), Black-crowned Night Heron (about 50%) and Grey Heron (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chinese Pond Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Suzhou (176 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.
