The White-bellied Heron, also known as the imperial heron or great white-bellied heron, is a large species of heron.
- Habitat: Strictly dependent on free-flowing, fast-flowing eastern Himalayan riverine habitats with low human disturbance.
- Distribution: Distributed Himalayan freshwater ecosystems spanning Bhutan, India, Myanmar, China, and Bangladesh.
- Major Threats: Hydropower dams (habitat fragmentation, altered river flows), habitat loss, hunting, and anthropogenic disturbances.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule-I
Source: The Indian Express