Ardea insignis Hume, 1878 - White-bellied Heron

Subspecies in India

This species is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

 

Photo Gallery and Species Biology


This species is extremely rare. It inhabits inland wetlands and the forests of the eastern Himalayan foothills from the sea level up to 1,500m. It is found to be extinct in Nepal and possibly extinct in Bangladesh (BirdLife International 2018). This species is present in Myanmar, Bhutan, and India but in a very small number (BirdLife International 2018). 

Conservation Status:
 
This species is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population size estimated between 50 and 249 individuals approximately. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat disturbance due to wide range industrialization, agriculture and other human encroachments (BirdLife International 2018).
 
StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total
BirdLife International 2018. Ardea insignis . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697021A134201407. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697021A134201407.en. Accessed on 30 January 2020.
 

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Ardea insignis Hume, 1878 – White-bellied Heron. In Satose, V., A. Bayani, V. Ramachandran, P. Roy, and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.17. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.birdsofindia.org/ardea-insignis, accessed 2024/09/15.