{"id":365749,"date":"2026-06-22T15:59:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T10:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=365749"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T10:29:09","slug":"white-bellied-heron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/white-bellied-heron\/","title":{"rendered":"White-bellied Heron"},"content":{"rendered":"
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News:<\/strong> The Forest Advisory Committee has given in-principle approval for a hydropower project in an area of Arunachal Pradesh that serves as a habitat for the White-bellied Heron.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

About White-bellied Heron<\/h2>\n
\"White-bellied
Source: Birds of the World<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Aspects\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
About<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • The white-bellied heron is a large heron species.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • It is the second-largest heron.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • It is also known as the imperial heron or great white-bellied heron.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scientific name<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Its scientific name is Ardea insignis.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Habitat<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • It prefers habitats with fast-flowing rivers and forests.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • It inhabits the wetlands of tropical and subtropical forests in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas<\/strong> of northeast India and Myanmar<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Distribution<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Today, it is found only in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan,<\/strong> in regions that are relatively undisturbed by development.\n
      \n
    • In the early 1900s,<\/strong> the bird was found across Nepal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Appearance<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • It has a uniform dark grey plumage, a whitish belly and long silvery or whitish plumes<\/strong> on the rear crown and lower fore-neck.<\/li>\n
  • It has a relatively long neck, a compact body, short legs, and large, well-developed toes.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Its elongated and highly flexible neck, combined with a sharp, serrated bill,<\/strong> enables it to efficiently catch fish even in deep water.<\/li>\n
  • The face is greenish-grey and<\/strong>\u00a0has long bill black,<\/strong> but greenish near the base and tip.<\/li>\n
  • The legs and feet are dull grey. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Weight:<\/strong> Its mean weight is estimated at 3.2\u20133.4 kg.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • In breeding plumage, it has a greyish-white nape plume and elongated grey breast feathers with white centres.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diet<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • It feeds primarily on aquatic prey, mainly fish.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Behaviour<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • It needs clear, shallow, and fast-flowing river streams to fish.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • It waits for the fish to come,<\/strong> and unlike other herons, they don\u2019t move around too much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Significance<\/strong><\/td>\nIt is an indicator species <\/strong>of a pristine habitat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Threats<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • Habitat loss<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Increasing disturbance and habitat degradation<\/strong> due to conversion of wetlands<\/strong> for agriculture and expansion of settlements<\/strong>, harvesting of wetland resources and poaching<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Conservation status<\/strong><\/td>\n\n