Black-headed Heron
Ardea melanocephala
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusArdea (Great Herons and Egrets)
- SpeciesArdea melanocephala (Black-headed Heron)
Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
Goliath Heron
Ardea goliath
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloides
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Black Heron
Egretta ardesiaca
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Rufous-bellied Heron
Ardeola rufiventris
📅 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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-headed Heron in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
About 45% of visitor-days record a Black-headed Heron sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 1133 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Black-headed Heron in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
February has the highest sighting rate for Black-headed Heron in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.