Fun Javan Pond Heron Facts For Kids

The Javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa) is a pond heron found in southeast Asia mainly in Thailand. It belongs to the family of Ardeidae and Ardeola genus. It is also called Garcilla Indonesia in the Spanish language while in German its name is Prachtreiher. It is a small heron species having distinct breeding plumage and non-breeding plumage. It even has a subspecies known as continentalis which has a longer bill and wing. The identification mark of the heron is its golden brown head, cinnamon breast and black colored back. All pond herons are similar to each other especially the juveniles and non-breeding ones. During the breeding season, the Javan pond heron can be differentiated from other pond herons. The habitat of the herons consists mainly of rice fields and wetlands. These herons roost in colonies as well as in solitary nests. It is a species of Least Concern according to IUCN status.

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What type of animal is a Javan pond heron?

The Javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa) or Garcilla indonesia is a species of heron that belongs to the Ardeidae family.

What class of animal does a Javan pond heron belong to?

Like all other birds, the Javan pond heron is also a member of the Aves class and is a part of the Animalia kingdom.

How many Javan pond herons are there in the world?

The prachtreiher is pretty common in Southeast Asian countries. The number of roosts extends in the hundreds where more than 10,000 birds reside. The number of colonies is in the range of thousands. Subspecies of the breeds are also living.

Where does a Javan pond heron live?

The heron is found in southeast Asian countries. The distribution ranges from Indonesia to Southern Indochina. The bird is also found in Thai-Malay Peninsula. These herons are found in south Vietnam, central Thailand, Cambodia, and southeast Myanmar. In Indonesia, the range extends from Java and Sumatra to Sumba and Bali. Rare occurrences of the species have been sighted in Sarawak and Saba. Colonies of the bird are also found in South Philippines. Thailand has a large range distribution of these birds.

What is a Javan pond heron's habitat?

You can see the heron most commonly in rice fields. Javan pond heron pictures show that the habitat also comprises a number of flooded grasslands, wetlands, ponds, and marshes. Lake margins are good places to see the species. These birds dwell near the coast in regions having mangrove forests and coastal reefs. The heron is mainly a lowland species, found at water level to about 5000 ft (1500 m). Permanent fresh-water lakes are also a part of the habitat of these birds.

Who do Javan pond herons live with?

The heron is primarily a solitary bird species but sometimes it is found in colonies that can be small or large depending on the number of members. In large colonies, the birds can be found roosting with other species such as little egrets and cattle egrets.

How long does a Javan pond heron live?

The average lifespan of this species ranges between six to seven years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the birds varies from region to region. In eastern Java, the breeding takes place from December to May while in western Java, the months for breeding extend from January to August. The Javan pond heron nest is built in bushes and trees that are located near ponds and marshes. The nest usually hangs over the water. It is made up of branches and twigs and is located in leaf-filled branches. Scientists have not been able to record the courtship behavior of Javan pond heron till now. The herons lay dark green-blue eggs that about 1.13 x 1.48 in (28.7 x 37.7 mm) in dimensions. These eggs are about the same size as those of Chinese pond heron and Indian pond heron. The clutch consists of about three to five eggs. There is not much information about the incubation period of the eggs, nor is there any report about the development of chicks. The family setup of the species is not known.

What is their conservation status?

According to the reports of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Javan pond heron is a species of Least Concern with an unknown population trend. The Javan pond heron range map is widely distributed over a large range with no threat of endangerment at the moment.

What do Javan pond herons look like?

The adult Javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa) is identified by its golden brown and buff head in breeding plumage. The non-breeding plumage consists of an olive-brown head. Its bill has a yellow color with a blue base and a dusky upper bill. Yellow irises and green-yellow lores are also present. It has a streaked brown neck while the upper parts and back are of pale olive-brown color. The wings and tail are white Streaked brown breast and white underparts complete the look with the legs being of pale greenish-yellow color.

The adult breeding plumage has a pale golden yellow head. The neck and crest are also golden yellows with two buff white crest plumes. The color of the bill changes to bright yellow with a blue base and black ring near the tip. The irises become orange. The white wings are covered by a back skirt in the standing position. Plumes of the breast and lower neck are cinnamon with no black feather tips. The plumes go to the upper belly while the underparts remain white with an orange hue. Soon after Javan pond heron's eggs are laid, the legs turn greenish-yellow from pale yellow and then dark green.

How cute are they?

It is a magnificent bird that has a royal look due to the golden brown breeding plumage. It might be considered cute by some people.

How do they communicate?

The Javan pond heron lets out a disturbance call that sounds like ‘krak’. It also has a typical squawk call that is considered as its flight call.

How big is a Javan pond heron?

The bird is a small heron species whose size is about 17.72 in (45 cm). It looks tiny when compared to the red-crowned crane whose size goes up to 59 in (150 cm).

How fast can a Javan pond heron fly?

There is no data available to determine the flight speed of a Javan pond heron. As it is not migratory, there is not much data about its flying speed.

How much does a Javan pond heron weigh?

Although no scientific information is available about the weight of the heron, we can assume it is similar to the Chinese pond heron that weighs about 10.6 oz (300 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names for Javan pond heron male and Javan pond heron female. The Javan pond heron sex differences are none.

What would you call a baby Javan pond heron?

A Javan pond heron baby is called a chick who is grey, brown, and white in color. Juvenile birds have a brown streak similar to adults with non-breeding plumage.

What do they eat?

The diet of Javan pond heron consists of insects mostly. It is a carnivorous bird that east by standing in a motionless position. It can also be seen feeding by walking in slow steps. An interesting feature of the species is that it hunts its prey in the open. The Javan pond heron behavior tells us that it remains active mostly during the evening and morning. The diet includes frogs and fish apart from insects. Among insects, the diet of the heron is also comprised of beetles, grasshoppers, and earthworms.

Are they dangerous?

Not at all. The Javan pond heron is not a dangerous animal.

Would they make a good pet?

The heron is a wild species. It lives in the field out in the open and is not suitable for a life in captivity.

Did you know...

The name of pond herons is due to their habitat being situated close to shallow fresh wetlands and ponds. They are of various breeds such as Javan pond heron, Indian pond heron, and Chinese pond heron.

The Indian pond heron is a small heron species mostly found in the Indian subcontinent. They have a short neck and a short bill. It has a brown buff breast and similar size to the Javan pond heron.

It belongs to the subspecies of Pelecaniformes breeds of birds.

Are Javan pond herons endangered?

The Javan pond heron is not endangered. They have a wide range of population distribution. As they are the Least Concern species, conservation practices are not in effect as much as required.

Difference between a Javan pond heron and a Chinese pond heron?

The Chinese pond heron vs Javan pond heron debate comes from the similarity between the two species. The Javan pond heron is very similar to the Chinese pond heron. The difference is that the Chinese pond heron has a darker head, breast, and plumage. It is very difficult to differentiate between juvenile and non-breeding herons. An immature Javan pond heron is smaller than an immature Chinese pond heron.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these green heron facts and reddish egret facts for kids.

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