Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GenusArdea (Great Herons and Egrets)
SpeciesArdea purpurea (Purple Heron)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Gorongosa National Park

3 Verified records at Gorongosa National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Gorongosa National Park

Ardea cinerea

Ardea goliath

Ardea alba

Ardea melanocephala

Bubulcus ibis

Egretta garzetta

Egretta intermedia

Ardeola ralloides

Butorides striata

Nycticorax nycticorax

Insufficient data

Egretta ardesiaca

Insufficient data

Ardeola rufiventris

Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Purple Heron at Gorongosa National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

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	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	80–90%
2	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	60–70%
3	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	50–60%
4	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	40–50%
5	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	40–50%
6	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	30–40%
7	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	20–30%
8	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	20–30%
9	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
10	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	20–30%
11	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	20–30%
12	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	20–30%
13	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	20–30%
14	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	20–30%
15	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	10–20%
16	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	10–20%
17	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	10–20%
18	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	10–20%
19	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	10–20%
20	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	10–20%
21	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	10–20%
22	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	10–20%
23	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	10–20%
24	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	10–20%
25	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	10–20%
26	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
27	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	5–10%
28	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	5–10%
29	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	5–10%
30	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	5–10%
31	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
32	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	5–10%
33	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	5–10%
34	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	5–10%
35	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
36	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
37	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
38	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	5–10%
39	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	5–10%
40	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	<5%
41	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
42	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
43	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	<5%
44	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
45	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
46	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	<5%
47	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
48	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	<5%
49	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
50	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
51	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
52	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
53	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
54	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
55	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
56	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
57	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
58	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
59	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
60	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
61	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
62	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
63	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
64	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
65	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
66	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
67	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
68	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
69	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
70	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
71	Berenty Reserve	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
72	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Insufficient data
73	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
74	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
75	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
76	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
77	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
78	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
79	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	Insufficient data
80	Cuc Phuong National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
81	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
82	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
83	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	Insufficient data
84	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
85	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
86	Horton Plains National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
87	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
88	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
89	Khao Luang National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
90	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
91	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
92	Kinabalu Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
93	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
94	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
95	Danum Valley Conservation Area	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data

← Back to Gorongosa National Park

Purple Heron

Closest Relatives at Gorongosa National Park

Grey Heron

Goliath Heron

Great Egret

Black-headed Heron

Cattle Egret

Little Egret

intermediate egret

Squacco Heron

Striated Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black Heron

Rufous-bellied Heron

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found