1. Squacco heron – Ardeola ralloides
The squacco heron is a small bird with a body length of 40-45 cm and a weight of 200-250 g. In an adult plumage of the upper body is yellow, the bottom of the body is white, there is a characteristic black pattern on the chest. The head is small, with a long, thin beak. The squacco heron has long legs and toes, which allows it to walk on water.
Squacco heron is common in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the Crimea.
Squacco heron is a sedentary bird. It lives on the banks of reservoirs, in the floodplains of rivers and in swamps. The squacco heron nests in small colonies, sometimes up to several dozen pairs. The nest is built of branches, reeds and other plant materials. There are 4-6 eggs in the clutch of squacco heron. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 18-20 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
The squacco heron feeds on insects, their larvae, molluscs and crustaceans. The squacco heron catches prey in shallow water, standing or wandering through the water.
The squacco heron is a fairly common species and is not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko