Purple Heron
Purple HeronPurple HeronPurple HeronPurple Heron

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

Silhouette: Giles Laurent · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Pyrénées National Park
56 Verified sightings at Pyrénées National Park From 2019 to 2026
14,292 Verified sightings across all 104 parks From 2019 to 2026
April 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 Pyrénées National Park

Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Great Egret
LC

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Squacco Heron
LC

Squacco Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardeola ralloides

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Eurasian Bittern
LC

Eurasian Bittern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Botaurus stellaris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
African Sacred Ibis
LC

African Sacred Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Glossy Ibis
LC

Glossy Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plegadis falcinellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Eurasian Spoonbill
LC

Eurasian Spoonbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Platalea leucorodia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Bald Ibis
EN

Northern Bald Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geronticus eremita

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
80 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
81 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
82 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
83 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
84 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
85 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
86 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
87 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
88 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
89 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
90 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
91 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
Insufficient data
92 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
93 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
94 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
95 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
96 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
97 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
98 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
99 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
100 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
101 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
102 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
103 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
104 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Purple Heron in Pyrénées National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Pyrénées National Park, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Purple Heron in Pyrénées National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Purple Heron in Pyrénées National Park in our monthly data.

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