Ardea melanocephala
Silhouette: Giles Laurent · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is mainly resident, but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season.
This species usually breeds in the wet season in colonies in trees, reedbeds or cliffs. It builds a bulky stick nest and lays 2–4 eggs. It often feeds in shallow water, spearing fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill. It also hunts well away from water, taking large insects, small mammals, and birds. It waits motionless for its prey, or slowly stalk its victim.
The black-headed heron is a large bird, standing 85 cm tall, and it has a 150 cm wingspan. It is nearly as large as the grey heron, which it resembles in appearance, although it is generally darker. Its plumage is largely grey above, and paler grey below. It has a powerful dusky bill.
The flight is slow, with the neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The white underwing coverts are striking in flight.
The call is a loud croaking. Black-headed... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mombasa | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 3 | Dar es-Salaam | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | N'Djamena | 🇹🇩 Chad | |
| 5 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 7 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 8 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 10 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg Zoo | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Knysna Elephant Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Heron sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 82nd most-seen of the 308 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.
January
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Heron in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November, the lowest month. That is one of Hwange National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-headed Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
26th of 53
Of the 53 parks where we can rate Black-headed Heron sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 26th at about 20%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 50%), Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania, about 50%) and Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Ardea
The closest relatives of the Black-headed Heron that you can see in Hwange National Park (genus Ardea, Great Herons and Egrets) are Grey Heron (about 30%), Great Egret (about 20%) and Goliath Heron (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-headed Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (77 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
