Photo Credits: pg 3- anchor
The Indian Pond Heron () also known as the Paddybird due to its affinity towards paddy fields is one of the most dominant and widespread birds found n Goa which can be seen in different habitat types, right from Miramar beach to the streams of Tamdi Surla. The bird is usually drab brown, the head streaked with dark brownish grey lines, while the rest of the body is white in colour. During breeding, their plumage changes drastically with the head turning yellowish brown while the back acquires a coppery brown plumage. The males and the females of this species look alike. This species is a resident and may move locally in search of food.
The Indian Pond Heron is generally a solitary bird feeding on frogs, small snakes and fishes. They are the wait and hunt predators who will wait hunched up and motionless for hours, being alert all the time waiting to detect its prey. Sometimes they stalk their prey stealthily with swift and graceful movements striking at the right movement to retrieve them. While feeding, they maintain distinct feeding territories around them which they defend aggressively. Day counts of this species from large patches of paddy fields or wetlands can go as high as eighty individuals or more. At night though, they roost in large numbers on tree tops constantly fighting with each other for the best perch. They are usually very annoying to birdwatchers because of their nature of being disturbed very easily. When agitated, they make a loud croaking call and fly away from the source of disturbance in the process disturbing all the other birds which also then take to wings.
Breeding records of this species from Goa have been scant with only five such instances being documented by Goan ornithologist Heinz Lainer. The breeding season is between July and September. This species nests in colonies with other species of Egrets. Though this bird has been classified as least concerned for conservation priority by International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are various cases of the Indian Pond Heron being hunted for its meat elsewhere in the country while use of chemical pesticides in the fields leads to its accumulation in their body through the food chain by a process called bio-magnification which proves fatal to them in the long run.
Being highly dependent on wetlands and paddy fields this very conspicuous bird has a very healthy population which is estimated at around 3000 individuals in Goa during winter. The upcoming All Goa Waterbird Count on 17th and 24th of January 2016 which will be organized jointly by Goa Bird Conservation Network, Bird Count India and Wetlands International will help us in determining the population of this species more accurately.
Image: Pronoy Baidya
