Purple Heron

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Purple Heron in Camargue?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Camargue, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Purple Heron in Camargue?

July has the highest sighting rate for Purple Heron in Camargue in our monthly data.

Ardea purpurea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GenusArdea (Great Herons and Egrets)
SpeciesArdea purpurea (Purple Heron)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Camargue

60 Verified sightings at Camargue From 2019 to 2026

14,284 Verified sightings across all 103 parks From 2019 to 2026

July Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Purple Heron

The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements.

It is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds. It hunts for a range of prey including fish, rodents, frogs and insects, either stalking them or standing waiting in ambush.

Purple herons are colonial breeders and build a bulky nest out of dead reeds or sticks close to the water' edge among reeds or in dense vegetation. About five bluish-green eggs are laid and are incubated by both birds. The young hatch about four weeks later and fledge six weeks after that. The International Union for Conservation of Nature notes that the global population trend is downwards, largely because of the drainage of wetlands, but assesses the purple heron's conservation status as being of "least concern". Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Camargue

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

LC Endemic

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Egretta garzetta

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Ardeola ralloides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Botaurus stellaris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Plegadis falcinellus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Platalea leucorodia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Pelecanus onocrotalus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	~80%
2	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~70%
3	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~50%
4	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~50%
5	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~50%
6	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~40%
7	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~30%
8	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
9	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
10	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~30%
11	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~20%
12	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
13	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
14	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~20%
15	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
16	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
17	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~20%
18	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
19	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
20	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
21	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~10%
22	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
23	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
24	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	~10%
25	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
26	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
27	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
28	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
29	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~10%
30	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
31	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
32	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~10%
33	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
34	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~10%
35	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
36	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
37	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
38	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
39	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
40	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
41	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	<5%
42	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
43	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
44	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	<5%
45	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
46	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
47	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	<5%
48	Gunung Leuser National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
49	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
50	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	<5%
51	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
52	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
53	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
54	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
55	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
56	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
57	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
58	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
59	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
60	Sepilok	🇲🇾 Malaysia	<5%
61	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
62	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
63	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
64	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
65	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
66	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
67	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
68	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
69	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
70	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
71	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
72	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
73	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
74	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
75	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
76	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
77	Berenty Reserve	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
78	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
79	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Insufficient data
80	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
81	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
82	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
83	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
84	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
85	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
86	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	Insufficient data
87	Cuc Phuong National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
88	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
89	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
90	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	Insufficient data
91	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
92	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
93	Horton Plains National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
94	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
95	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
96	Khao Luang National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
97	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
98	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
99	Taman Negara National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
100	Kinabalu Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
101	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
102	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
103	Danum Valley Conservation Area	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Purple Heron in Camargue?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Camargue, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Purple Heron in Camargue?

July has the highest sighting rate for Purple Heron in Camargue in our monthly data.

← Back to Camargue

Purple Heron

About the Purple Heron

Closest Relatives at Camargue

Grey Heron

Great Egret

Little Egret

Cattle Egret

Squacco Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Eurasian Bittern

Glossy Ibis

Eurasian Spoonbill

Great White Pelican

African Sacred Ibis

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers