Herons, Bitterns
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
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.
- Family
- Herons, Bitterns
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Vertebrates, fish and carrion
- Migration
- Resident
- Countries recorded
- 139
Recorded in Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Norway, India, Belgium, Taiwan, South Africa, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Czechia, Republic of Korea, Russia, Israel, Austria, Poland, Ireland, Turkey, China, Switzerland, Estonia, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Kenya, Bulgaria, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Tanzania, Namibia, Slovakia, Romania, Malaysia, Oman, Morocco, Slovenia, Botswana, Luxembourg, Uganda, Iran, Isle of Man, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Cambodia, Egypt, Zambia, Georgia, Lithuania, Philippines, Mongolia, Belarus, Cyprus, Kuwait, Mozambique, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Moldova, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Rwanda, Iceland, Latvia, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Montenegro, Vietnam, MV, eSwatini, Albania, SC, Åland, Malawi, Pakistan, Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, North Macedonia, JE, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Cabo Verde, Armenia, Bosnia and Herz., MO, Angola, XK, Uzbekistan, Andorra, Bahrain, Benin, Lesotho, Malta, Canada, Mauritania, Laos, Iraq, Lebanon, GG, Yemen, Burkina Faso, EH, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Palestine, Bhutan, LI, Chad, Sudan, Gabon, Barbados, Faeroe Islands, Tajikistan, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Niger, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Guinea, YT, Eq. Guinea, GI.
Where to see it: B · Landaa Giraavaru (Maldives); K · Malé (Maldives); Lh · Naifaru (Maldives); Velana International Airport (Maldives); BH-Ar Rifa wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah-Road 9925 (25,8490,50,6171) (Bahrain).
