Goliath Heron (Birds)

ORDER

Ciconiiform.es

FAMILY

Ardeidae

GENUS & SPECIES

Ardea goliath
Goliath Heron

KEY FEATURES

• World’s largest heron, with an extraordinarily long neck, bill and legs
• A strong walker, the
heron spends most of its time on the ground
• Special down feathers disintegrate to form powder, which is used for grooming
• More than 4′ tall, it stands motionless in water until it is ready to spear its prey

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Found in Africa, south of the Sahara, and in southern Iraq and Iran; breeds from Pakistan to Bangladesh and south into Sri Lanka; also in sub-Saharan Africa, south to Botswana and Natal
tmpF-14_thumb


LIFECYCLE

Standing motionless and solitary, the Goliath heron is a highly specialized hunter that stalks its prey and staunchly defends its foraging grounds.

Habitat

A Marshland The Goliath heron occurs in a variety of habitats, such as marshes.
A Marshland The Goliath heron occurs in a variety of habitats, such as marshes.
The Goliath heron favors inland lakes and rivers with shoreline vegetation: estuaries, reefs, papyrus swamps,coastal creeks and mangrove swamps, both salt-and freshwater From sea level up to 6,900′, the bird prefers sites surrounded by water where it can hunt for food. The Goliath heron usually remains in a limited area but will disperse in response to various seasonal ^- All alone changes and the availability of The heron prefers a solitary food supplies. life over living in colonies.
 A Goliath heron was once seen eating a fish weighing 3 lbs.
A Goliath heron was once seen eating a fish weighing 3 lbs.
A heron’s neck has 16-17 vertebrae; all mammals, including giraffes, have only seven.
• In flight, the Goliath heron can make 98 wingbeats per minute.
This heron is normally solitary during breeding, but may nest with other birds in some areas.

Behavior

Unlike other day herons, the Goliath heron is not sociable and is a solitary feeder. Its varied repertoire of calls is more extensive than that of other herons. Vocalizations often sound like a series of guttural honks, harsh noises, croaks, coos, and growls. The heron fiercely defends its large feeding grounds with its spearlike bill. In parts of South Africa, only one heron inhabits a territory of 2.3 sq. miles. Though not extremely agile in flight, it is capable of quick takeoffs and pinpoint landings; its acrobatic descent looks similar to a parachute dropping.

Food & hunting

The Goliath heron hunts large fish, some measuring up to 20″ long, as well as frogs, lizards, snakes, crabs and even the occasional rodent. Long-legged, it often wades into water too deep for other herons. This solitary hunter uses its spearlike bill as a harpoon, snatching its live prey from the water or the ground. The heron waits patiently without moving, standing in an upright posture when looking for prey, then crouches, with neck and body parallel to the ground, when it is ready to strike. The bird hunts mostly during the day. Indigestible materials, such as crab shells, are regurgitated as pellets.
tmpF-17_thumb

skilled hunter

Scoping the territory...
Scoping the territory…
Standing upright, the Goliath heron maintains maximum visibility in the shallows of the lake as it scans the area for prey.
The next victim...
The next victim…
Switching to a crouching position, the heron spots a fin and a flash of scale just breaking the water’s surface.
Man the harpoon...
Man the harpoon…
The heron spears the huge 20″-long fish with its pointed bill, bringing the prey up to the water’s surface to be eaten.
 A meal in a bite
A meal in a bite
With a quick upward toss, the Goliath heron repositions the large fish so it can be swallowed whole and head first.

Breeding

Most Goliath herons breed during the rainy season and are monogamous. The male arrives first at the nesting ground and begins to collect material to construct the nest; he then tries to attract a female while he defends his territory against other males. Vocal displays are very important in this solitary species, which loudly advertises its breeding readiness. The nest is built of sticks from trees, bushes or reed stems and situated near a body of water
Both the male and the female incubate the clutch of 2-5 eggs. After 24-30 days, the young herons hatch at intervals and are born naked and blind.The adults regurgitate food to the intensely competitive chicks; the smaller chicks often die of starvation when food is scarce. It takes almost three months for the chicks to fledge, though they begin wandering from the nest much earlier
A Monogamous bond Goliath herons mate for life, forming a lasting bond.
A Monogamous bond Goliath herons mate for life, forming a lasting bond.

Conservation

The Goliath heron is not globally threatened, but it is Closely monitored in South Africa, where it once was considered rare. Habitat destruction has decreased its nesting areas in southern Iraq, as well as in Iran and the Indian subcontinent, but the bird is relatively common in east Africa and parts of Sudan. Predators range from reptiles, such as iguanas or crocodiles, to mammals and birds of prey.

PROFILE

Goliath Heron

Goliath Heron

Creature comparisons

The white-necked heron (Ardea pacifica) measures up to 3.5′ in length, much smaller than the Goliath heron. The white-necked heron inhabits shallow freshwater, flooded grasslands and floodplains and moves about seasonally in the Australian andTasmanian wetlands, far removed from its relative, which occurs in similar habitats in Africa. Both birds are considered “day herons” and have similar diets but, due to its smaller size, the white-necked heron preys on smaller aquatic and terrestrial animals.
White-necked heron
White-necked heron & Goliath heron
Goliath heron

VITAL STATISTICS
Weight Unknown
Length Up to 4.7′
Wingspan Up to 7.6′
Sexual Maturity Unknown
Breeding Season Rainy season
Number of Eggs 2-5, usually 3
Incubation Period 24-30 days
Fledging Period 42-81 days
Breeding Interval Up to 2 years
Typical Diet Large fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, rodents, crabs and prawns
Lifespan Unknown

RELATED SPECIES

• The Goliath heron is one of several species in the genus Ardea, also known as the large day herons due to their size and activity patterns. The genus also includes the great blue heron, Ardea herodias. These herons are among 60 species of heron, egret and bittern in the family Arde dae. This family contains the snowy egret, Egretta thula, and the I black-crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax.

Next post:

Previous post: