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Species › Birds

Squacco Heron

Ardeola ralloides

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Ardeidae
Presence in the Strait
Seasonal
Abundance
rare
Protection in Spain
In danger of extinction · Andalusian Catalogue
In Spanish
Garcilla cangrejera

Photograph: Charles J Sharp, CC BY-SA, vía iNaturalist

Length
44–47 cm
Wingspan
80–92 cm
Weight
300 g
020406080100LENGTH44–47 cmWINGSPAN80–92 cmcentimetres

Presence in the Strait

Estival rare, with occasional wintering birds isolated on Guardiaro River estuary, marshes of Barbate and Janda, place it where you started playing in 2006, and since 2009 regularly does some couple (3 -4 pairs). are migrant, single birds occasionally wintering on the River Guadiaro estuary and La Janda, where it used to breed until it dried out. Rice growing in the latter area is creating the right conditions for breeding in the future.

Identification

Solitary. Breeding plumage is very different from that in winter, when it loses the elongated nape feathers, head and neck-sides become streaked and bill base becomes yellow. Juveniles are like winter adults. In flight, pure white wings and tail.

Movements

Prenuptial migration mainly in April and May; postnuptial migration towards the end of August and the 2nd hf. September.

Ring recoveries

France (1). Ardeidae Avetorillo Común ad. ad. juv. Martinete Común ad.E juv. Garcilla Cangrejera

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Gallery

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.