Ardeola grayii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Indian pond heron or paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Iran and east to the Indian subcontinent, Burma, and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations.
They are distinctive when they take off, with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. Their camouflage is so excellent that they can be approached closely before they take to flight, a behaviour which has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.
Indian pond herons are stocky with short necks, short thick bills and buff-brown backs. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Their appearance is transformed from dull colours when they take to flight and the white of the wings makes them very prominent. They are very similar to the squacco herons, Ardeola ralloides, but darker backed. To the east of their range, they are replaced by the Chinese pond herons, Ardeola bacchus.
During the breeding season, there are records of individuals... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 7 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 12 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 15 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 17 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 18 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 19 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 21 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 22 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 23 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 24 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 25 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 26 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hajipur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Savar | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | |
| 3 | Madurai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Kollam | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Thiruvananthapuram | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Ponnani | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Vijayawada | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Colachel | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Kochi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Vasai-Virar | 🇮🇳 India |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 6 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Pond Heron sighting in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, based on 356 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Pond Heron in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, against about 30% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian Pond Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
5th of 26
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Indian Pond Heron sightings, Wilpattu National Park ranks 5th at about 60%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 80%), Kaziranga National Park (India, about 80%) and Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Ardeidae
The closest relatives of the Indian Pond Heron that you can see in Wilpattu National Park (family Ardeidae, Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) are Great Egret (about 60%), Little Egret (about 60%) and Grey Heron (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indian Pond Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Wilpattu National Park (356 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.
