Appearance:

Small, crepuscular, stocky heron with short legs. Adults unmistakable with black cap, black back, grey wings and white underparts. Immature less distinct, and may be confused with immature Squacco Heron, Little Bittern or Bittern. Differs from all these in distinct white spots covering both wings and back. Belly and breast are more widely covered in coarse streaking, not just the sides or upper chest. Legs just barely protrudes behind tail in flight.

Sound:

Most commonly hear call is a nasal, soft croaking "roack", like cross between Raven and frog.

Flight call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Marked black breast-band and mask. Olive-brown upperparts and white underparts. Easily confused with Little Ringed Plover (especially juveniles). Diagnostic characters in adults are; striking white wing-bars (only faint in Little Ringed Plover), orange base of bill and legs, and no yellow eye-ring. Juveniles also show characteristic wing-bars, white supercilium extends behind the eye, lower part of "mask" is rounded and bill is stouter. Tertials do not cover tips of primaries.

Sound:

Usually heard before seen. Contact call a short, soft "koo-eep", with the emphasised second part higher and rising in pitch. Song a cyclic repetition of the contact call. Sometimes with a shortened phrases and a more creaking timbre.

Flight call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.