The Indian pond-heron has found across most of the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar and Nepal. It ranges from Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives in the west, to Thailand and Vietnam in the east.It prefers places like very shallow, non-flowing or slowly flowing aquatic regions. The Indian Pond Heron prefer marshy wetlands as their feeding habitat.
Indian Pond Heron is one of the solitary foragers. These species are semi-colonial breeders. Mainly, they feed on crustaceans, aquatic insects, fishes, tadpoles and sometimes leeches. If the heron lives outside the wetlands, they take insects such as crickets, dragonflies, bees and amphibians as their food.
Male Indian pond heron will come first and start building the nest to attract the female pond herons. After getting paired, the pair continues to build the nest. They nests at the time between May to September. It used to take the courtship in the nest only. It prefers bamboo, willows, eucalyptus and mangroves trees to build the nest. The Indian Pond herons lay 3 to 7 eggs, glossy blue or white in (olive brown) color. They are used to migration after breeding season only.
The Indian Pond herons lay 3 to 7 eggs, glossy blue or white in (olive brown) color. They are used to migration after breeding season only. Its biology has been surprisingly little studied. Its foraging repertoire is large and interesting. Studies are needed of its foraging and breeding behaviour and biology over its variety of habitats and geography.
