The purple heron

A purple heron is seen in Honghu Park in Luohu District in this file photo. Photos by Isaac Cohen 

The purple heron

One of the rarest visitors to our city during the migration period is the enigmatic purple heron (Ardea purpurea), a big bird that may grow to 90 centimeters tall with an impressive wingspan up to 150 centimeters. Its unique coloration pattern attracts every birdwatcher in Shenzhen.

每年的迁徙季，深圳会迎来了一位稀客——草鹭（别名紫鹭）。它是一种大型候鸟，体长可达90厘米，翼展可达1.5米。草鹭羽毛颜色分布十分有特色，吸引了深圳的许多观鸟达人。

The purple heron has a black-feathered crown with a couple of long plumes that wave as they walk. The lateral portions of the face and neck are of a beautiful orange coloration, and black stripes cross them. 

草鹭的冠羽由黑色羽毛组成，上面点缀着几根黑色长羽，走路时会随之晃动。草鹭的头部和颈部侧面呈棕栗色，上面覆有黑色纵纹。

A purple heron is seen in Honghu Park in Luohu District in this file photo. Photos by Isaac Cohen 

The throat is white, and the base of the wings is of a deep red; the belly is black with reddish streaks, the beak is long and yellow, and the eyes are also yellow. 

草鹭的外观辨识度较高，喉部呈白色，翅膀底部呈深红色，黑色的腹部带有红色条纹，喙细长呈黄色，眼部也呈黄色。

Their legs are long with a brown coloration in front and yellow in the back, but during the breeding season they become entirely orange. 

草鹭的腿细长，前面是棕色，后面是黄色，在繁殖季前后都变成橙色。

So many colors and patterns make their appearance unique, and the contrast of all those patterns conjures up a purplish impression that gives the species their name.

多样的色彩赋予了草鹭独特的外观，整体看起来呈紫色，也因此有了“紫鹭”的别名。

A purple heron is seen in Honghu Park in Luohu District in this file photo. Photos by Isaac Cohen 

This fascinating bird prefers open shallow wetlands with a lot of vegetation, where they remain most of the time. In winter, these shy migratory birds visit our city, where they forage for aquatic insects, crustaceans, fish and even smaller birds, lizards, and mammals.

这种迷人的鸟儿喜欢植被丰富的浅滩，并在那里待上很长时间。在冬天，这些害羞的候鸟会来到我们的城市，在这里觅食水栖昆虫、甲壳纲动物、鱼类深圳一些小鸟、蜥蜴和一些哺乳动物。

Their breeding season goes from April to June, but it may vary depending on their location and the climate conditions of their habitats. 

它们的繁殖期一般是从四月持续到六月，但也会根据地理位置和环境的不同而变化。

They nest in groups and lay up to six or seven eggs per clutch, which both parents incubate for about four weeks. Another five or six weeks will pass before the chicks become fully independent and can live on their own.

草鹭成群筑巢，每次产六到七个卵，在之后的一个月里雄鸟和雌鸟共同孵化。雏鸟孵出后过上五六个星期，就可以独立生活了。

A purple heron is seen in Honghu Park in Luohu District in this file photo. Photos by Isaac Cohen 

Although these birds are not threatened globally, they are scarce in our city. If we want to keep welcoming this and other visiting species during their migrations, we need to take action to preserve wetlands and the natural environments of our city.

尽管草鹭在全球范围内还称不上是濒危物种，但在深圳较为少见。我们需要好好保护这座城市的湿地和其他自然环境，以便在每年的迁徙季迎接它们的到来。

(Translator: Zeng Hengpu, Chen Xiaochun

翻译：曾珩埔、陈晓纯)