Goliath Heron
Goliath HeronGoliath HeronGoliath HeronGoliath Heron

Goliath Heron

Ardea goliath

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Nyungwe National Park
1 Verified records at Nyungwe National Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Goliath heron (Ardea goliath), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. It is primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller, declining numbers in Southwest and South Asia. Asian records are now very rare, but it does still known as an occasional vagrant. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Nyungwe National Park

Black-headed Heron
LC

Black-headed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea melanocephala

<5% · Rare
Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

<5% · Rare
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

<5% · Rare
Purple Heron
LC

Purple Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea purpurea

Insufficient data
Rufous-bellied Heron
LC

Rufous-bellied Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardeola rufiventris

Insufficient data
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

<5% · Rare
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

<5% · Rare
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

<5% · Rare
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

Insufficient data
Hadada
LC Endemic

Hadada

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bostrychia hagedash

10–20% · With luck
Hamerkop
LC

Hamerkop

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Scopus umbretta

5–10% · With luck
African Sacred Ibis
LC

African Sacred Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis aethiopicus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

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

☀️ When They're Spotted

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

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
2 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
40–50%
3 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
40–50%
4 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
5 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
40–50%
6 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
30–40%
8 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
9 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
10 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
20–30%
11 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
20–30%
12 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
13 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
20–30%
14 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
15 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
16 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
17 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
18 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
19 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
5–10%
20 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
21 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
22 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
5–10%
23 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
24 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
25 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
26 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
27 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
28 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
29 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
30 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
31 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
32 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
33 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
34 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
35 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
36 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
37 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
38 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
39 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
40 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
41 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
42 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
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