PAKHI DEKHOON PAKHI CHINOON ... OBSERVE THE BIRD AND RECOGNIZE...WHITE BELLIED HERON

PAKHI DEKHOON PAKHI CHINOON #635. OBSERVE THE BIRD AND RECOGNIZE...WHITE BELLIED HERON... WATERCOLOUR...A4.. 2016...[From the photograph of MR. ARKA SARKAR] ... The white-bellied heron (Ardea insignis), also known as the imperial heron or great white-bellied heron, is a species of large heron found in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in India, northeastern Bangladesh, Burma and Bhutan.
Additionally, there are records from Nepal. It is mostly dark grey with a white throat and underparts. This heron is mostly solitary and is found on undisturbed riverside or wetland habitats. The global population has declined and the species is threatened by disturbance and habitat degradation. The species is currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
This large heron is plain dark grey above with a long neck. The crown is dark and there are no black stripes on the neck as in the grey heron. In breeding plumage, it has a greyish-white nape plume and elongated grey breast feathers with white centers. The bill is black, greenish near the base and tip and the face is greenish grey. The bill is large and solid, with the culmen measuring 15.2–17.6 cm (6.0–6.9 in). The chin and central portion of the underside are whitish in color (per the common name), contrasting strongly against the dark grey color on the back. The legs are blackish with scale-like texture on the tarsus which measures 17.1 to 21.6 cm (6.7 to 8.5 in). In flight, it has a uniform dark grey upperwing and white underwing-coverts contrasting with dark grey flight feathers. The rump appears paler grey. At 127 cm (50 in) in height, it is the second largest heron on earth, after the Goliath heron. Included in the length, the mid-sized tail measures 19.9 to 21.6 cm (7.8 to 8.5 in). The wing chord measures 54.6 to 57.2 cm (21.5 to 22.5 in), with an estimated wingspan of 2 m (6.6 ft) or more.
The usual call given when disturbed is a deep croak.[info:wikipedia]