Indian Pond Heron

Indian Pond Heron
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Ardeola grayii

Malay Name: Pucung-Padi Kelabu

Chinese Name: 印度池鹭

Range: Found from the Persian Gulf, Indian subcontinent to the Maldive Islands and winter to the Thai-Malay Peninsula.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 45 cm

Identification: Indistinguishable from other pond-heron species when in non-breeding and juvenile plumage. Adult in breeding plumage has distinctive brownish-buff head, neck and breast with long white head-plumes, whitish throat and dark brownish-maroon mantle and scapulars.

Similar looking species: Chinese Pond Heron, Javan Pond Heron

Habitat: Various wetlands like streams, marshes, ponds and open wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Diet comprises fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Mar 2023, Apr 2023, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, Mar 2025, Apr 2025, May 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 08 Mar 2021
Late date 13 May 2021
Bar chart not displayed for this species; pond herons are only identifiable when they are in breeding plumage, so a bar chart would not offer a proper representation of this species's abundance at different times of the year.
Recorded annually in recent years, although this species was historically much rarer. Only identifiable in breeding plumage, usually in Mar-May.
Indian Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Indian Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Indian Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Indian Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Indian Pond Heron at Dover. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Indian Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Indian Pond-Heron)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Ardeola grayii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697128A93600400.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Indian Pond Heron. Retrieved on July 14, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/indian-pond-heron.

To top