Purple Heron
Purple HeronPurple HeronPurple HeronPurple Heron

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Sepilok
29 Verified sightings at Sepilok From 2019 to 2026
14,284 Verified sightings across all 103 parks From 2019 to 2026
August 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 Sepilok

Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Nankeen Night-Heron
LC

Nankeen Night-Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax caledonicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Malayan Night Heron
LC

Malayan Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gorsachius melanolophus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Javan Pond Heron
LC

Javan Pond Heron

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ardeola speciosa

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Chinese Egret
VU

Chinese Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta eulophotes

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Pacific Reef Heron
LC

Pacific Reef Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta sacra

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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 Sepilok?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Heron sighting in Sepilok, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

August has the highest sighting rate for Purple Heron in Sepilok in our monthly data.

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