The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. To that extent, it also breeds in Iran's coastal waters, i.e., the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, where according to experts although its existence is not threatened, its protection is vital all the same.

Picture taken in May 2009
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