Indian Pond Heron
Ardeola grayii
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Ardeidae)
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
Overview
The Indian pond heron or paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Iran and east to the Indian subcontinent, Burma, and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations.
They are distinctive when they take off, with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Persian Gulf to India, Myanmar, and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Indian pond heron
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
