Ardeola ralloides
The squacco heron is one of the most beautiful representatives of its family, an exotic presence in the delta landscape. Although it appears as a brown bird when standing on the shore, in flight it surprises with the white of its wings which until then were hidden.
It has velvety golden-yellow plumage on the back and neck. During the breeding season, it has a crest of long feathers on the nape (an "üstök", hence the Hungarian name). The bill is bluish-green at the base with a black tip in spring.
It is a summer migratory species, fond of warmth. Prefers areas with floating vegetation, the edges of lakes with water lilies and channels with rich vegetation. It is a bird characteristic of wetlands in south-eastern Europe.
It feeds mainly on aquatic insects and larvae, but does not refuse small fish or frogs either. It is a less shy bird than the little bittern, often being observed standing on water lily leaves.
Breeds in mixed colonies, in bushes or reeds. Colonies are often shared with other heron and egret species.
Global status is "Least Concern" (LC). It is a species whose European population is largely concentrated in the wetlands of the Danube basin, being protected by international conventions.