Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Despite their large size, Grey Herons weigh only about 1 to 2 kilograms due to their hollow bird bones.
- Scientific name
- Ardea cinerea
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Pelecaniformes › Ardeidae › Ardea
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and coastal estuaries.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; primarily fish, but also eats amphibians, small mammals, reptiles, and insects.
- Range
- Europe, Asia, Africa
- Size
- Height: 84–102 cm; Wingspan: 155–195 cm
- Lifespan
- 15-25 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, water pollution, and illegal persecution at fish farms.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a distance of at least 20 meters to avoid disrupting their hunt. If you find an injured bird, do not approach its head as they may strike at eyes defensively; contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
The grey heron ( Ardea cinerea ) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after...
Photo: Frank Sengpiel, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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