Bird / Ardea cinerea

Grey Heron

LC

Lowest risk

Migratory

The grey heron 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 standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.

Range mass
0.226 to 1.36 kg
Range length
84 to 102 cm
Range wingspan
155 to 175 cm
Breeding interval
Grey herons breed once a year.
Breeding season
Grey herons breed from late Feburary to early June.
Range eggs per season
3 to 5
Range time to hatching
25 to 26 days
Average fledging age
50 days
Range time to independence
9 to 10 weeks
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
1 years
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
1 years
Range lifespan
Status: wild
23 (high) years
Average lifespan
Status: wild
5 years

Bower, J. and D. Rabago 2012. "Ardea cinerea" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 10, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ardea_cinerea/

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