Grey Heron Did you see this animal?
Scientific Name : Ardea cinerea
Family : Ardeidae
Order : Pelecaniformes
Class : Aves
Phylum : Chordata
Habitat : Wetlands
Description : The Grey Heron is a long-legged greyish waterbird (adult bird length approximately 98 cm, weight 2 kg, wing 44.5 cm, bill 12.2 cm, tarsus 15 cm, tail 17 cm). Its whitish head bears a black crest of loose feathers extending from the back of the eyes. During the breeding season, it has a orange-yellow bill, and bright yellow legs and feet. It feeds primarily on fish, amphibians, small mammals, reptiles and insects. It occasionally takes crustaceans, molluscs, worms, birds and plant materials.The grey heron can be found in various watery habitats across its range, including lowlands, mountains, lakes, rivers, marshes, and coastal areas. It can also forage away from water in places like pastures and deserts. Breeding colonies, called heronries, are usually located near feeding areas but can be up to 8 kilometers away. The grey heron has a distinctive slow flight with its long neck retracted in an S-shape. It builds nests in trees near wetlands, using the same nest year after year. Courtship involves various behaviors, and the female lays a clutch of three to five eggs. Incubation and feeding of the young are done by both parents. The chicks fledge after 7-8 weeks. The average lifespan in the wild is about 5 years, with only a third of juveniles surviving past their first year.
Distribution in Bangladesh
Other Species from Group
-
Ixobrychus flavicollis
(Black Bittern) -
Botaurus stellaris
(Eurasian (Great) Bittern) -
Bubulcus ibis
(Cattle Egret) -
Ixobrychus sinensis
(Yellow Bittern) -
Ardea goliath
(Goliath Heron) -
Ardeola grayii
(Indian Pond Heron) -
Egretta sacra
(Pacific Reef (Heron) Egret) -
Ardea intermedia
(Intermediate (Yellow-billed) Egret) -
Nycticorax nycticorax
(Black‑crowned Night Heron) -
Gorsachius melanolophus
(Malayan Night Heron)
Species groups
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Bee-eaters -
Booby -
frigatebird -
phalarope -
tropicbird -
Martins and Swallows -
Crows, Drongos & allies -
Woodpeckers -
Eared Nightjars -
Ibises & Spoonbills -
Trogons -
Coucals -
Pelicans -
Darters -
Gulls -
Warblers and allies -
Flowerpeckers & Sunbirds -
Sparrows, Wagtails, Pipits a& allies -
moonbird -
Hawks & Eagles -
Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers & allies -
Small Kingfishers -
Cisticola & Prinia -
Plovers & Lapwings -
Rails, Gallinules & Coots -
Tits -
Parrots -
Rosefinches and Buntings -
Bustards -
Grebes -
Pheasants & Partridges -
Old World flycatcher -
Starlings and Mynas -
Hornbills -
Buttonquails -
Rollers -
Bluebirds -
Crested Kingfishers -
Cormorants -
Pigeons and Doves -
Jacanas -
Typical Owl -
Finfoots &booby -
Flamingo -
Herons and Bitterns -
Treecreepers -
Nuthatch -
Barbets -
Treeswifts -
Swifts -
Crab-plovers, Coursers and Pratincoles -
Bulbuls -
Frogmouths -
Larks -
Storks -
Broadbills -
Thick-knees -
Painted-snipes -
Nightjars -
Barn-owls -
Large-billed Kingfishers -
Falcons -
Pittas -
Cranes -
Whistling-ducks -
Ducks, Geese & Swans -
Hoopoe
References:
description written by:Fatema-Tuz-Zohora,Department of Zoology, Jagannath University,Dhaka;information source: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol-26, iucnredlist.org;Photo credit and copyright:MSH Sourav (TU Dresden, Germany);taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;bird song owner:Jarek Matusiak(www.xeno-canto.org/Jarek Matusiak), bird sound copyright reserved according to www.xeno-canto.org rules; more information, please contact us.
description written by:Fatema-Tuz-Zohora,Department of Zoology, Jagannath University,Dhaka;information source: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol-26, iucnredlist.org;Photo credit and copyright:MSH Sourav (TU Dresden, Germany);taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;bird song owner:Jarek Matusiak(www.xeno-canto.org/Jarek Matusiak), bird sound copyright reserved according to www.xeno-canto.org rules; more information, please contact us.