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Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | 287 g |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 18,600,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 18,600,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 6.7 | - | - | - |
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable or increasing, and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Austria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belarus | Vagrant | No | |||
| Belgium | Vagrant | No | |||
| Benin | Native | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Botswana | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Burkina Faso | Native | No | |||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Cape Verde | Vagrant | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Czech Republic | Native | No | |||
| Denmark | Vagrant | No | |||
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Finland | Vagrant | No | |||
| France | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Georgia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Hungary | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ireland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Israel | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Lebanon | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Lesotho | Native | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Vagrant | No | |||
| Liechtenstein | Vagrant | No | |||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | |||
| Malta | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Vagrant | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Moldova | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montenegro | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Vagrant | No | |||
| Niger | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Poland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Portugal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Slovenia | Native | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | Yes | ||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Swaziland | Native | No | |||
| Sweden | Vagrant | No | |||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| Uzbekistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Western Sahara | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Zambia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Armenia | Metsamor |  |
| Azerbaijan | Lake Mahmudchala | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Hutovo blato | |
| Botswana | Okavango Delta | |
| Bulgaria | Belene Islands Complex | |
| Bulgaria | Ibisha Island | |
| Bulgaria | Kalimok Complex | |
| Bulgaria | Mandra-Poda complex | |
| Bulgaria | Pozharevo Island | |
| Bulgaria | Ropotamo Complex | |
| Bulgaria | Srebarna | |
| Cameroon | Logone flood-plain | |
| Chad | Lake Chad | |
| Chad | Lake Fitri | |
| Croatia | Alluvial wetlands of the River Danube | |
| Croatia | Alluvial wetlands of the River Drava | |
| Croatia | Grudnjak fish-ponds | |
| Croatia | Nasicka Breznica fish-ponds | |
| Cyprus | Akamas Peninsula | |
| Cyprus | Akrotiri Peninsula - Episkopi Cliffs | |
| Cyprus | Karpasia Peninsula - Kleides Islands | |
| Egypt | Lake Manzala | |
| France | Camargue | |
| France | La Dombes | |
| France | Marais entre Crau et Grand Rhône: Meyranne, Chanoine, Plan de Bourg et Salins du Caban | |
| France | Petite Camargue fluvio-lacustre | |
| Greece | Amvrakikos gulf | |
| Greece | Axios, Loudias, and Aliakmon estuaries | |
| Greece | Lake Kastoria (Orestiada) | |
| Greece | Lake Kerkini | |
| Greece | Lake Mikri Prespa and Lake Megali Prespa | |
| Greece | Lake Mitrikou (Ismarida) | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Arquipélago dos Bijagós | |
| Hungary | Bodrogzug–Taktaköz | |
| Hungary | Flood plain of Tiszaalpár | |
| Hungary | Hortobágy and Tisza-to | |
| Hungary | Kesznyéten | |
| Hungary | Lake Kis-Balaton | |
| Hungary | Lower Tisza Valley | |
| Hungary | Péteri Lake | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Anzali Mordab complex | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Arjan Protected Area | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Lake Kobi | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Lavandavil Wildlife Refuge | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Seyed Mohalli, Zarin Kola and Larim Sara | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Shadegan marshes and tidal mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa | |
| Israel | Carmel coast | |
| Mali | Lac Débo - Lac Oualado Débo | |
| Montenegro | Lake Skadar | |
| Portugal | Paul do Boquilobo | |
| Romania | Allah Bair - Capidava | |
| Romania | Balta Mică a Brăilei | |
| Romania | Balta Vederoasa | |
| Romania | Bistreţ | |
| Romania | Blahniţa | |
| Romania | Braţul Borcea | |
| Romania | Comana | |
| Romania | Danube Delta | |
| Romania | Dunăre - Olteniţa | |
| Romania | Dunăre - Ostroave | |
| Romania | Dunărea Veche (Braţul Măcin) | |
| Romania | Dăbuleni - Grinduri | |
| Romania | Gruia - Gârla Mare | |
| Romania | Lake Beibugeac (Plopu) | |
| Romania | Lake Bugeac | |
| Romania | Lake Dunăreni | |
| Romania | Lake Oltina | |
| Romania | Olteniţa - Ulmeni | |
| Romania | Ostrovu Lung - Gostinu | |
| Romania | Vedea - Dunăre | |
| Russia (European) | Chechen' Island and east seaside of Agrakhan peninsula | |
| Russia (European) | Lake 'Southern Agrakhan' | |
| Russia (European) | Shapsugsko-Takhtamutaiskaya rice-irrigation system | |
| Russia (European) | Varnavinsko-Kryukovskaya irrigation system | |
| Russia (European) | Volga Delta | |
| Serbia | Becej fish-pond | |
| Serbia | Carska bara | |
| Serbia | Dubovac-Ram | |
| Serbia | Jegricka | |
| Serbia | Subotica lakes and sandy terrain | |
| South Africa | Nyl river flood-plain | |
| South Sudan | Sudd (Bahr-el-Jebel system) | |
| Spain | Albufera de Valencia marshes | |
| Spain | Ebro delta | |
| Spain | El Hondo wetland | |
| Spain | Santa Pola salt-pans | |
| Spain | Tablas de Daimiel marshes; 'Vicario' and 'Gasset' reservoirs and Malagón lakes | |
| Turkey | Akşehir and Eber Lakes | |
| Turkey | Ereğli Plain | |
| Turkey | Göksu Delta | |
| Turkey | Hotamış Marshes | |
| Turkey | Iron Marshes | |
| Turkey | Işıklı Lake | |
| Turkey | Köyceğiz Lake | |
| Turkey | Kuş Lake / Manyas Lake | |
| Turkey | Marmara Lake | |
| Turkey | Meriç Delta | |
| Turkey | Mogan lake | |
| Turkey | Sultan Marsh | |
| Turkey | Uluabat Lake | |
| Turkey | Yeşilırmak Delta | |
| Ukraine | Dnipro delta | |
| Zambia | Bangweulu Swamps | |
| Zambia | Kafue Flats | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Handicrafts, jewellery, decorations, curios | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Ardeola ralloides. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Ardeidae (Herons and egrets) |
| Species name author | (Scopoli, 1769) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 18,600,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
|
|