Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Where is it found?
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Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and estuarine
Diet and foraging method
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Herons stand incredibly still in the water waiting for prey to approach, they then stab the water with their long bill and try to catch their prey. They often swallow their food whole.
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Key adaptations
Herons long legs and neck allow them to catch fish from a standing position
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
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Monogamous pairs
Did you know that...?
Although they are mostly solitary, they come together in the breeding season in 'heronries', which are congregations of nests often in trees.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Ardcin" by Pierre Dalous - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardcin.jpg#/media/File:Ardcin.jpg
"Bird eating fish" by winnu (nigel) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/winnu/7156612161/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bird_eating_fish.jpg#/media/File:Bird_eating_fish.jpg
"Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) -2 on nest" by Neil Phillips - originally posted to Flickr as grey herons on nest. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Herons_(Ardea_cinerea)_-2_on_nest.jpg#/media/File:Grey_Herons_(Ardea_cinerea)_-2_on_nest.jpg
"Ardea cinerea eggs" by Notafly - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardea_cinerea_eggs.JPG#/media/File:Ardea_cinerea_eggs.JPG
"Ardea Cinerea in Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus 1726 by Marsigli" by Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli - Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus at zvab.com. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardea_Cinerea_in_Danubius_Pannonico-Mysicus_1726_by_Marsigli.jpg#/media/File:Ardea_Cinerea_in_Danubius_Pannonico-Mysicus_1726_by_Marsigli.jpg
"Ardcin" by Pierre Dalous - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardcin.jpg#/media/File:Ardcin.jpg
"Bird eating fish" by winnu (nigel) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/winnu/7156612161/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bird_eating_fish.jpg#/media/File:Bird_eating_fish.jpg
"Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) -2 on nest" by Neil Phillips - originally posted to Flickr as grey herons on nest. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Herons_(Ardea_cinerea)_-2_on_nest.jpg#/media/File:Grey_Herons_(Ardea_cinerea)_-2_on_nest.jpg
"Ardea cinerea eggs" by Notafly - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardea_cinerea_eggs.JPG#/media/File:Ardea_cinerea_eggs.JPG
"Ardea Cinerea in Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus 1726 by Marsigli" by Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli - Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus at zvab.com. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ardea_Cinerea_in_Danubius_Pannonico-Mysicus_1726_by_Marsigli.jpg#/media/File:Ardea_Cinerea_in_Danubius_Pannonico-Mysicus_1726_by_Marsigli.jpg
