Javan Pond Heron

Javan Pond Heron

Scientific Name: Ardeola speciosa

Malay Name: Pucung-Padi Emas

Chinese Name: 爪哇池鹭

Range: Found from Southern Indochina to Indonesia and winter to the Thai-Malay Peninsula.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: continentalis, speciosa.

Size: 45 cm

Identification: Indistinguishable from other pond-heron species when in non-breeding and juvenile plumage. Adult in breeding plumage has distinctive pale brownish-buff to creamy-whitish head and neck with white head-plumes, deep cinnamon-rufous breast, white belly and blacklish-slate mantle and scapulars.

Similar looking species: Indian Pond Heron, Chinese Pond Heron

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

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

Local Status: Uncommon migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Pasir Ris Farmway 3 and Sungei Serangoon.

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023

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):

Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024
Peak week Apr 02-Apr 08
Early date 27 Oct 1994
Late date 09 May 2019
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.
This species can only be separated from Chinese and Indian Pond Herons when they are in breeding plumage, usually in April and May.
Javan Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Pasir Ris Farmway 3. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Javan Pond Heron in breeding plumage at Pasir Ris Farmway 3. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Presumably a Javan Pond Heron in the initial stage of moulting to breeding plumage at Pasir Ris Farmway 3. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Javan Pond-Heron)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Ardeola speciosa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697138A93601050.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.). Javan Pond Heron. Retrieved on May 14, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/javan-pond-heron.

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