Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)

Cover image: Black-headed Heron by Les Underhill – Bloubergstrand, Western Cape – BirdPix No. 266676

Identification

The Black-headed Heron is a large black, grey and white heron. It is a familiar and conspicuous species.

The build is slender with long legs and an elongated neck. The head is black above, extending most of the way down the hind-neck. There are 1-3 long black plumes extending from the nape. The lower head, chin and fore-neck is white with variable black streaking on the lower fore-neck. The sides of the lower neck and back also have long grey-and-white plumes. The lower neck and upper parts, including the wings are dark slate grey with a paler greyish-white shoulder patch.

The underparts are uniform pale grey. The bill has a dark greyish-black upper mandible, while the lower mandible is dull yellow-grey. The legs are long and black. The sexes are alike.

In flight the underwings are contrasting black and white

Immature birds are dull grey, instead of black on the head and hind-neck. The underparts are mostly off-white with some rufous or buffy colouration on the lower neck and upper breast.

The Black-headed Heron most resembles the similarly sized Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea). Confusion is most likely between juveniles, but those of the Grey Heron are distinguished at all ages by the plain grey underwings. The underwings of the Black-headed Heron are contrasting black-and-white.

Status and Distribution

The Black-headed Heron is a common and widespread inhabitant of sub-Saharan Africa. It is mostly resident with no evidence of regional migration. However, it regularly undertakes local and sometimes more substantial movements in response to food availability.

It is widespread in southern Africa, but is largely absent from very arid areas of south-western and eastern Namibia and the more arid regions of the Kalahari Basin.

In southern Africa the overall distribution is strikingly similar to that of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), being concentrated in the wetter eastern and southern areas.

Agricultural development, particularly the clearing of woodland and the creation of pastures and cultivated lands, has increased its feeding habitat. Additionally, the construction of artificial waterbodies and the planting of alien trees has provided additional breeding habitat. This has led to an expansion in range and an increase in the number of breeding colonies.

The Black-headed Heron is an adaptable species. It remains common and is not considered threatened, however, it is vulnerable to poisoning in agricultural areas and its breeding success is generally low.

Habitat

The Black-headed Heron is found in open habitats, preferring grasslands and floodplains, especially in transformed or disturbed landscapes. It favours moist habitats and areas close to wetlands but is not dependent on aquatic environments. The Black-headed Heron also inhabits open woodlands, fynbos and forest edges or clearings. It is less common in closed woodlands, undisturbed savannas and along the coast. The species temporarily moves into desert and semi-arid Karoo-scrub after periods of good rain.

It is readily attracted to freshly burnt areas, and has adapted to urban habitats, even tolerating heavy traffic as it forages along road verges. The Black-headed Heron requires tall trees and reedbeds for roosting and breeding.

Behaviour

The Black-headed Heron is generally solitary when hunting, but roosts and breeds communally. Roosts sometimes contain up to 100 birds and the same roost site is typically used each night. They often commute long distances from their roosting sites to feeding grounds.

The Black-headed Heron is both diurnal and nocturnal, either standing and waiting for prey or stalking slowly and deliberately. When prey is spotted, the Black-headed Heron moves its head from side to side before rapidly striking with an extended neck. Prey is captured or speared with the bill and then juggled into a head-first position before swallowing. Food items are swallowed by jerking the head back and rapidly opening and closing the bill. Small items are swallowed alive, while larger prey is shaken or stabbed to death before swallowing. They will abandon food items that are too large to swallow.

The Black-headed Heron is highly predatory. Its diet consists of both invertebrate and vertebrate prey. Invertebrates eaten include large insects like grasshoppers, locusts and beetles, as well as scorpions, spiders and crabs etc. Vertebrates consumed range from rodents to snakes, lizards, young tortoises, fish, frogs and birds up to the size of doves. They are occasionally known to scavenge. Indigestible bits of food are regurgitated in the form of large pellets.

This heron breeds year-round in southern Africa with peaks during the wetter months. They typically nest colonially, often in mixed-species colonies with other herons, egrets, cormorants, African Darter and storks.

The nest is a large platform of sticks, lined with finer plant material and often bits of wool and hair. The nest is cooperatively built by both sexes with males supplying most of the nest material and females doing most of the construction. Nests are usually placed in a tree overhanging or submerged in water, and less often in reedbeds or on a cliff ledge.

Usually two to four eggs are laid per clutch, and they are pale blue and oval in shape. Incubation starts with the first laid egg and is performed by both sexes. Little is known about the development and care of the young. The nestling period lasts around 52 days and young birds become independent after 60 days.

The nest is a large platform of sticks, lined with grass and is usually placed in the fork of a tree over water. Nests are sometimes also built in reedbeds or rarely, on cliffs or on the ground. The nest is normally constructed by the female with nest material brought to her by the male. Two to four blueish-green eggs are laid per clutch. The incubation period lasts for up to 28 days and is performed by both sexes. The nestling period lasts for a further 30 days or so. Nestlings are fed and cared for by both parents and are able to fly after about 50 days. Juvenile birds become independent after 60 to 70 days.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Aletta Liebenberg, Gary Brown, Gerald Gaigher, Gregg Darling, Jorrie Jordaan, Les Underhill, Malcolm Robinson, Pamela Kleiman and Tino Herselman is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Swartkopreier (Afrikaans); uNokilonki (Zulu); Isikhwalimanzi (Xhosa); Zwartkopreiger (Dutch); Héron mélanocéphale (French); Schwarzkopfreiher (German); Garça-de-cabeça-preta (Portuguese)

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/03/11/black-headed-heron-ardea-melanocephala/

Bird identification, birding