Loic Poidevin / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) in flight, Brenne, France, May

Ingo Arndt / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) pair courting and building nest in reeds, Germany

Neil Aldridge / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) fishing at sunset, Zibadianja Lagoon, Selinda Reserve, Northern Botswana.

David Pattyn / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) catching fish on a misty morning, La Dombes lake area, France, June

Wild Wonders of Europe / Presti / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) in flight, Danube Delta, Romania, May 2009

Pedro Narra / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) hatching, Sado estuary, Portugal. May

Pedro Narra / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) in flight, Sado estuary, Portugal. April

Eric Baccega / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) perched on branch. Baringo lake, Kenya.

Mathias Schaef/ BIA / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) flying, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) pair building reed nest, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) on reed stems, Germany

Richard Du Toit / Purple heron (Ardea purpurea) sitting on ground, Marievale Bird Sanctuary, Gauteng Province, South Africa, August.