Purple Heron

(Ardeapurpurea), a bird of the family Ardeidae of the order Ciconiiformes. The body length is approximately 90 cm. Reddish brown tones predominate in the plumage. The purple heron is distributed in Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa; in the USSR it ranges from the Danube to Balkhash and in the Primor’e. The bird winters in Africa and Southern Asia. The purple heron lives along shores with thickets and usually nests in small colonies, sometimes with other bird species. The nests are constructed on shrubs or broken reeds. A clutch contains three to five bluish eggs, which are incubated for about four weeks. The young leave the nest after 40 to 45 days. The birds feed principally on small fishes; less commonly, they eat insects, frogs, and rodents.