Ardea purpurea
One of our shier heron species, despite its impressive size, the Purple Heron inhabits densely vegetated shallow wetlands, reedbeds and riverbanks, seldom emerging into the open. They feed mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals and birds, and crabs and other aquatic invertebrates and is most active around dawn and dusk.
The Purple Heron forms monogamous pairs and usually nest in mixed colonies together with ibises, cormorants and other herons in reed beds and treed thickets. Both parents construct the flat platform nest using reeds and sticks and share the incubation duties for the clutch of 4-8 eggs over a 4-week period. They breed throughout the year, with a peak during the rainy season, and the chicks become independent when they’re about two months old.
Purple Herons measure around 85cm in length with a weight of approximately 870g, and is considered of least concern by the IUCN, which estimates their numbers at as many as half-a-million. Draining of their preferred wetland habitats and habitat destruction in other ways, is a threat to take note of. The species occurs widely over Europe, central and south Asia, the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa and in South Africa they are found in all our provinces, though only rarely so in the arid Northern Cape and dry Karoo regions.
de Wets Wild 
Beautiful herons – I think we have only glimpsed them in Botswana. Thanks for sharing these photos.
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If there’s any place where you’d have a good chance of seeing them I’d bet it is the Okavango. And seems even there they’re shy to show!
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They look so much like Mr GBH; just a slight difference in colour. 😍
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Indeed Sylvia. In habits they’re quite different though; the Purple Heron being very shy and retiring.
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Have you ever logged the number of hours it takes to get a good set of photos?
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Not at all, Beth – sometimes you are lucky to be in the right place at the right time to have a wonderful sighting of a rare creature, other times even a common garden-variety bird can prove quite elusive when they spot a lens!
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Lucky sighting, Dries. Elegant creatures!
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Every encounter, however brief, worthy of remembering!
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So true!
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Your photos are gorgeous as always, but this bird looks especially stately in your post. Maybe it’s that tall neck that carries them above other birds.
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They are a rarely seen beauty, and perhaps they know it!
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How marvellous to have amassed such interesting photographs of this bird!
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It’s taken years just to get poor collection, Anne. I don’t think we even catch a glimpse of this species once a year.
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Love these shy water birds and the way they freeze patiently waiting before grabbing their prey, lovely shots thank you Dries.
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I wish I knew of a spot where we could see the Purple Heron reliably – they make you work for a picture!
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I do love herons and other fishing birds. 🙂
janet
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What’s not to love!? Thank you, Janet.
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I love the way they’re so patient in unmoving, then suddenly dart so quickly to grab a fish that you can barely see it.
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I often think we have much to learn from them about patience and focus.
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Great shots. 😊
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Very kind, thank you Irene
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It’s very much like our herons but in a different color. How cool! 🙂
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Unmistakingly so, thanks H.J.
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Stunning photo’s of a reclusive bird. Well done!
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Thank you so much, Lindy
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