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    Goliath Heron

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    This large heron is a firm believer in the adage: “Patience is the key to success”

    Hans Hillewaert

    The goliath heron is the largest extant heron, growing up to 1.5m (5 ft). It is found in sub-Saharan Africa and Southwest and South Asia in smaller populations.

    They live in areas close to waterbodies – wetlands, marshes, mangroves, and coastal islands. Hence, their diet consists of fish and other aquatic fauna. They can stand motionless for long periods in water, waiting for prey to come to them. At the opportune moment, they quickly strike with an open bill.

    They never seem to be in much rush as their movements are generally slow, and they often lose their meal at the hands of other predators (kleptoparasitism).

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    Angola
    2016
    Bangladesh
    2016
    Benin
    2016
    Botswana
    2016
    Burkina Faso
    2016
    Burundi
    2016
    Cameroon
    2016
    Central Af. Rep.
    2016
    Chad
    2016
    Congo-Brazzaville
    2016
    Côte D’ivoire
    2016
    DR Congo (Kinshasa)
    2016
    Djibouti
    2016
    Egypt
    2016
    Eritrea
    2016
    Eswatini
    2016
    Ethiopia
    2016
    Gabon
    2016
    Gambia
    2016
    Ghana
    2016
    Guinea-Bissau
    2016
    Guinea
    2016
    India
    2016
    Iran
    2016
    Iraq
    2016
    Jordan
    2016
    Vagrant
    Kenya
    2016
    Lesotho
    2016
    Liberia
    2016
    Vagrant
    Malawi
    2016
    Mali
    2016
    Mauritania
    2016
    Mozambique
    2016
    Myanmar
    2016
    Namibia
    2016
    Niger
    2016
    Nigeria
    2016
    Oman
    2016
    Non-Breeding
    Pakistan
    2016
    Qatar
    2016
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Rwanda
    2016
    Saudi Arabia
    2016
    Senegal
    2016
    Sierra Leone
    2016
    Somalia
    2016
    South Africa
    2016
    South Sudan
    2016
    Sri Lanka
    2016
    Sudan
    2016
    Syria
    2016
    Non-Breeding
    Tanzania
    2016
    Togo
    2016
    Uganda
    2016
    Yemen
    2016
    Zambia
    2016
    Zimbabwe
    2016

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    Get to know me

    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Least Concern(IUCN)
    World Population 67,000
    Added by BioDB
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    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Ardea goliath Other names:

    Giant heron

    Physical traits

    Length: 120 – 152 cm (3 ft 11 in – 5 ft) Weight: 4 – 5 kg (9 – 11 pounds) Lifespan: 23 years Wingspan: 185 – 230 cm (6 – 7 ft 7 in) Incubation: 24 – 30 days Eggs: 2 – 5 eggs
    Habitats: Marine Fresh water Lakes Marsh Swamp
    Regions: Africa Asia
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