The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of White-bellied Heron (Pelecaniformes：Ardeidae).

The White-bellied Heron is Critically Endangered wading bird. In this study, we first sequenced and described the complete mitochondrial genome and phylogeny of . The whole genome of was 18,656 bp in length and contained 14 protein-coding genes, 23 transfer RNA genes, two ribosome RNA genes, and two non-coding control regions. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA was 30.86% for A, 24.60% for T, 30.48% for C, and 14.05% for G, with a GC content of 44.54%. A phylogenetic tree confirmed that belonged to genus , family Ardeidae, and was sister to . This information will be useful in the current understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of Pelecaniformes.