Identification
A tall, slender, all-white heron with long dark legs. Bill colour changes with breeding condition, so a yellow bill is not an all-season rule.
When to look
Present in Romania in more than one season, with dispersal and migration changing local numbers. Open water and food availability influence winter distribution.
Where to look
Shallow inland and coastal wetlands offer fishing areas. It can use reed margins, marsh pools, lagoons and other waters with accessible prey.
Behaviour and ecology
Food and nutrition
It stalks or waits for prey in shallow water, taking fish and other small animals. A still bird may be actively hunting.
Breeding and life cycle
Colonial nesting often brings it together with other herons. Safe vegetation and limited disturbance are important around nesting and communal roosting areas.
A closer look
A change in bill colour can accompany the breeding season, illustrating why identification guides need to describe seasonal variation.
Global conservation assessment
LC · Least Concern
Global category recorded from the linked assessment; it does not describe local abundance. Least Concern does not mean absence of threats.
View the source assessment ↗Observation and photography
Allow feeding birds to come into a useful position. Avoid driving a boat towards them for a take-off photograph.
Sources and further reading
Keep a distance that allows birds to feed and rest normally. Do not enter colonies, approach nests, flush roosts or use playback for photographs. Never publish precise nest locations of sensitive species. Follow reserve rules and your guide's advice.