Rufous-bellied Heron
Ardeola rufiventris
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusArdeola (Pond Herons)
- SpeciesArdeola rufiventris (Rufous-bellied Heron)
Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve
Madagascar Pond Heron
Ardeola idae
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloides
Black-headed Heron
Ardea melanocephala
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Goliath Heron
Ardea goliath
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 3 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 8 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 11 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 14 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 16 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 17 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 18 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 19 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 20 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 21 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-bellied Heron in Masai Mara National Reserve?
About 7% of visitor-days record a Rufous-bellied Heron sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 211 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Rufous-bellied Heron in Masai Mara National Reserve?
May has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-bellied Heron in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.