Purple Heron

I have a previous post on the purple heron (April 3, 2019), ssp. manilensis, which I saw in Sri Lanka. 

Illustration of ssp manilensis flying (and standing below) from Birds of the World.

Subsequently, I have seen a different subspecies, purpurea, the nominate subspecies, in both Portugal, in the Tagus Estuary area, in June of 2022, and in the Mabamba Swamp in Uganda, west of Entebbe on Lake Victoria, in July of 2025. 

This purple heron is one of several we saw in the Tagus Estuary. 

This is the purple heron we saw in the Mabamba Swamp.

Illustration of purpurea from Birds of the world, flying (and standing below), from Birds of the World.

The subspecies are differentiated by the extent of black streaking on the neck. Manilensis is paler and grayer above and darker below, and the black spots on the throat are more broken or even missing, and it has whiter chest plumes.