Pond-heron WADER 15/60 - Chinese Pond Heron (1/3)

 Chinese Pond Heron

There are 3 species of Pond herons that could be sighted in Malaysia namely:- Indian Pond Heron - This is a bird found in Iran, Afghanistan an the Indian sub-continent  Vagrant in Malaysia Chinese Pond Heron - It is a bird  of India, China and wintering in the south. This is the most common Pond Heron you can see in Malaysia. Javan Pond Heron - Resident in Java, Bali,  Borneo and Philippines - vagrant in Malaysia.

All the 3 birds are  identical in size - 45  cm having almost identical features albeit some very minor differences. Very difficult to tell them apart in their normal non-breeding plumages when visiting Malaysia. When they take flight the underside of the wings and tail is white. Pond herons are most likely seen in open areas with pools of waters, e.g. sewage ponds, fish ponds and padi fields. They could also be among the low trees by the river and in mudflats. The only way to ID them is when they are in breeding plumage as the pictures below would show during the tail end of their stay in Feb-April.