CRITICALLY ENDANGERED White-bellied Heron

White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)

Taxonomy: Ardea insignis A. O. Hume, 1878, Sikkim terai, Bhutan duars, etc.. Monotypic.

Distribution: Southern foothills of E Himalayas in Bhutan, NE India and N Myanmar. Formerly occurred widely over C & E India, Nepal (extinct) and at least W & C Myanmar; may occur still in SE Tibet. Individuals visit the Brahmaputra lowlands in winter.

Status : CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. Previously considered Endangered. Population thought to number just 50–249 mature individuals (of which c. 50 in Bhutan. Formerly resident all along foothills of E Himalayas, but seems to have declined in W of range: not recorded in Nepal since 19th century; rare in NE India, Bhutan (where first recorded as recently as 1991) and Bangladesh (where perhaps only a vagrant); most recent records are from 5–6 sites in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India, 1–2 sites in Bhutan, and parts of Burma (e.g. records in N of country in 1998 and 2001). Status in SW China uncertain, but recently recorded in Yunnan. Once considered common in parts of Burma, e.g. along Mali Hka and Irrawaddy rivers; little recent information, but habitat destruction seems to have been largescale and devastating throughout Burma. Main threats presumed to be widespread loss, degradation and disturbance of forest and wetlands, the latter degraded by pollution, rapid growth of aquatic vegetation, and over-exploitation of resources, while more locally poaching is thought to be a significant threat, even in protected areas and natural forest fires have destroyed nests in Bhutan, in which country hydroelectric power developments and road improvements have degraded habitat for this species. Known from the following protected areas (some only seasonally): Namdapha Tiger Reserve (recently proven to breed), Kaziranga, Dibru-Saikhowa and Manas National Parks, and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, in India; Hukaung Tiger Reserve and Hpon Razi Wildlife Sanctuary, in Myanmar; and Jigme Dorji and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Parks.

Location : Phunakha, Bhutan 
Date: 22/02/2017
Camera Model: NIKON D750
Focal length: 850mm.
REMARKS: Very shy & Aware bird .... Was very aware of a  Pallas's Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) that flew past the bird.

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