Javan Pond Heron

Javan Pond Heron (Ardeola speciosa) is a small heron with white wings and, in breeding plumage, orange, slate and white body colours; non-breeding birds are brown-streaked. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It inhabits shallow fresh and brackish wetlands in Southeast Asia, taking insects, fish and crabs, and becomes extremely difficult to separate from other pond herons outside breeding plumage. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).