Black-headed Heron
Photo: Ansel Archives · CC0

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Black-headed Heron

Ardea melanocephala

LCLeast Concern
Family
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Order
Pelecaniformes

Overview

The black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is mainly resident, but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season.
This species usually breeds in the wet season in colonies in trees, reedbeds or cliffs. It builds a bulky stick nest and lays 2–4 eggs.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Grassland and savanna of sub-Saharan Africa.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.