{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Ardeola ralloides'' |volume=2018 |article-number=e.T22697123A131940696 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697123A131940696.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> | image = Crabier chevelu.jpg | image_caption=Ariège, France | range_map=Ardeola ralloides map.svg | range_map_caption = Range of ''A. ralloides'' {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Breeding range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#008000|Year-round range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#0000FF|Wintering range|outline=gray}} | genus = Ardeola | species = ralloides | authority = (Scopoli, 1769) }}

The '''squacco heron''' ('''''Ardeola ralloides''''') is a small heron, {{convert|44|–|47|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long, of which the body is {{convert|20|–|23|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}}, with {{convert|80|–|92|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} wingspan.<ref name=BWP/> It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East.

==Behaviour==

The squacco heron is a migrant, wintering in Africa. It is rare north of its breeding range. The species has been recorded in Fernando de Noronha islands, and more rarely in mainland South America, as a vagrant.

This is a stocky species with a short neck, short thick bill and buff-brown back. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Its appearance is transformed in flight, when it looks very white due to the colour of the wings.

The squacco heron's breeding habitat is marshy wetlands in warm countries. The birds nest in small colonies, often with other wading birds, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to four eggs are laid. They feed on fish, frogs and insects. The squacco heron is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite ''Ardeirhynchus spiralis''.<ref name = Dimitrova1994>Dimitrova, Z. M., & Georgiev, B. B. (1994). Ardeirhynchus ng (Palaeacanthocephala: Polymorphida: Polymorphidae), with a redescription of A. spiralis (Rudolphi, 1809) n. comb. Systematic Parasitology, 29(2), 149-158.</ref> <gallery mode="packed" heights="130px"> Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) in flight.jpg|Flying in Cyprus Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) breeding colour composite.jpg|Composite showing changes during breeding </gallery>

==Etymology== The English common name ''squacco'' comes via Francis Willughby (c. 1672) quoting a local Italian name ''sguacco''. The current spelling comes from John Hill in 1752.<ref name=ODBBN/>

The scientific name comes from Latin ''ardeola'', a small heron (''ardea''), and ''ralloides'', Latin ''rallus'', a rail and Greek ''-oides'', "resembling".<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n54 54], 330}}</ref>

== Breeding == The squacco heron uses freshwater localities throughout Europe and the Middle East as breeding grounds to later migrate south to the Sub-Saharan African region. Non-breeding squacco herons share similar traits with other heron species like the Indian pond heron and Malagasy pond heron which show tawny color plumage, lighter streaking, smaller bill, and narrower wing tips.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HeronConservation » Squacco Heron |url=https://www.heronconservation.org/herons-of-the-world/list-of-herons/squacco-heron/ |access-date=2022-03-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>thumb|'' Ardeola ralloides '' eggs

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=BWP>{{cite book |title=The Birds of the Western Palearctic [Abridged] |year=1997 |editor-first1=David William |editor-last1=Snow |editor-first2=Christopher |editor-last2=Perrins |publisher=OUP |isbn=0-19-854099-X}}</ref>

<ref name=ODBBN>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of British Bird Names |last=Lockwood |first=W.B. |year=1993 |publisher=OUP |isbn=978-0-19-866196-2}}</ref> }}

==External links== {{Commons category|Ardeola ralloides}} {{Wikispecies|Ardeola ralloides}} {{Wiktionary|squacco}}

*{{cite web|last1=Blasco-Zumeta|first1=Javier|last2=Heinze|first2=Gerd-Michael|work=Identification Atlas of Aragon's Birds|title=Squacco heron|url=http://blascozumeta.com/wp-content/uploads/aragon-birds/non-passeriformes/038.squaccoheron-aralloides.pdf }} *[http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/072.pdf Squacco Heron] - ''The Atlas of Southern African Birds'' *{{field guide birds of the world|Ardeola ralloides}} *{{Avibase|name=Ardeola ralloides}} *[http://www.oiseaux.net/birds/squacco.heron.html Squacco Heron] at [http://www.oiseaux.net oiseaux.net] *{{BirdLife|22697123|Ardeola ralloides}} *{{InternetBirdCollection|squacco-heron-ardeola-ralloides}} *{{VIREO|Squacco+heron}} *{{Xeno-canto species|Ardeola|ralloides|Squacco heron}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q191394}}

squacco heron squacco heron squacco heron Category:Birds of Africa Category:Birds of Europe Category:Birds of West Asia