Sunday Special----A Stylish Fish Hunter!

December 20, 2017

The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) also known as theblack egret, is an African heron. It is well

known for its habit of using its wings to form a canopy when fishing.

The black heron occurs patchily through Sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Sudan to South Africa, but is found mainly on the eastern half of the continent and in Madagascar. It has also been observed in Greece. and Italy. It prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. It may also be found in marshes, river edges, rice fields, and seasonally flooded grasslands. In coastal areas, it may be found feeding along tidal rivers and creeks, in alkaline lakes, and tidal fla

The black heron is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm in height), black-plumaged heron with black bill,

lores, legs and yellow feet. In breeding plumage it grows long plumes on the crown and nape.

The black heron has an interesting hunting method called canopy feeding—it uses its wings like an umbrella, and uses the shade it creates to attract fish. This technique was well documented on episode 5 of the BBC's The Life of Birds. Some have been observed feeding in solitary, while others feed in groups of up to 50 individuals, 200 being the highest number reported. The black heron feeds by day but especially prefers the time around sunset. It roosts communally at night, and coastal flocks roost at high tide. The primary food of the black heron is small fish, but it will also eat aquatic insects, crustaceans

Diet: Black Herons will search for fish, crustaceans and insects in shallow water and will sometimes feed in groups of up to 50 birds. They have a unique method of feeding called 'canopy feeding'. Canopy feeding is when the wings are spread up and forward to overlap in front of the bird creating something that looks like an umbrella. They can hold the canopy position for about 2 to 3 seconds and then they will return to a normal position. They will go back and forth between the different positions. It is supposedly quite a site to see flocks of Black Herons doing this canopy position in unison. They may do this to improve visibility by eliminating reflections, or to attract food to dark shelter formed by their wings. When they spot prey they will use their bill to jab it.