Large wader (approx 90 cm or 35.5 in) with an also large wingspan (approx 145 cm or 5 ft). Somewhat smaller in size than the Grey Heron, but with a very similar appearance and silhouette. Dark brown plumage with grey and purple tones. Neck with black bands and a greenish black cap on the head. Very long bill, neck and legs. Silhouette in typical flight of herons, with the neck folded in the shape of an "s" and stretched legs.
Wetlands
All types of wetlands, with shallow water, be it fresh or brackish, provided they have a border of vegetation of reeds and bulrush.
Summer bird in Malaga, although a sporadic and occasional breeder. Easier to see in migratory passage. It breeds from April. Nest on the water consisting of a platform of reeds hidden in the border of the wetland. One laying of 4 to 5 eggs. Normally colonial, although less than other herons. The Purple Heron hunts alone, positioned on the shore of the wetland, among the reeds. It waits for a prey to pass and harpoons it with the bill. This wader feeds on fish, amphibians, small reptiles, micromammals and insects.
Sparse and rare bird in Malaga. It can be watched in passage in the mouths of the Guadalhorce and Vélez rivers, as well as in those of the Río Verde (Marbella) and Guadalmansa (Estepona).
The Purple Heron is usually camouflaged among the reeds adopting the "posture of the stake" consisting of staying very still, with the neck stretched to the maximum and the bill upwards. In this way it looks like another reed. This behaviour helps the bird to go unnoticed when it feels threatened.
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