White-bellied Heron

 Most people think that birds like herons are extremely common....Well, we have to keep in mind that there are many species of Heron...like the one we are talking about today, the White-bellied Heron, a bird that is considered one of the rarest birds in the world.

White-bellied Herons are usually found in the swamps, wetlands and river valleys of North-east India, Bhutan and Eastern Myanmar. They are large birds, measuring about 4 feet, and having a long snake-like neck, strong beak, black upper feathers, and, as is pretty obvious from the name of the bird, a white belly. This bird is often confused with the Grey Heron; The most notable differences between the two birds include the difference in size, as the White-bellied Heron is a larger bird, and the difference in colour, the Grey Heron being a much lighter shade of grey than the White-bellied Heron. Also, the conservation status of the White-bellied Heron is critically endangered, while the Grey Heron is a common bird, found worldwide. Now returning to today's subject....Both the sexes of this bird look similar, the juveniles being brown, with slightly smaller plumes. Their diet consists mostly of fish, frogs and reptiles. They are usually seen foraging for food in solitary, or in small groups. The call of this bird can be described as a loud, croaking bray. These birds are also often identified with the popular film star, Amitabh Bachchan, due to its height, giving it a native name in Arunachal Pradesh, "Amitabh Bachchan Chidiya".

However, these shy yet delightful birds are facing various threats like habitat loss, human disturbance, especially to nests, deforestation, and exploitation of river resources like sand, caused due to sand mining. Even though organizations like the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), Bhutan and Aranyak are putting a lot of effort in protecting these birds, I would like to remind all the readers of this post, that as the most intelligent creatures on earth, we must realize that our irresponsible actions have already wiped out many animals and birds from the planet, so please, spread awareness, and contribute as much as you can to save creatures like the White-bellied Heron.


White-bellied Heron. Illustrated by: True Indian 


Comments

  1. Ratna Dey6 May 2026 at 13:02

    Your post is so interesting together with awareness education and the sketch of white belled heron drawn by you.

    ReplyDelete

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