Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

A Gray Heron looks much like the familiar Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), but it is a rare visitor to the United States. It normally lives across Europe, Asia, and Africa and catches fish in shallow water.

Appearance

Appearance: Stands up to about 3 ft (1 m) tall with a wingspan of 61–77 in (155–195 cm) and weighs 2.2–4.4 lb (1–2 kg). Gray above and pale below, with a white head and neck and a bold black stripe running from the eye back to a black crest.

Look-alikes

Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

Great Blue Herons are usually larger and show rusty brown on the thighs and shoulder edges. Gray Herons have gray thighs and a paler neck; a distant photo can still be tricky.

Why they get mixed upThe two gray herons have a very similar shape.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: marshes
rivers and streams
lakes
estuaries
rice fields
Range: Native across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rare birds have reached the Atlantic Coast of North America, from Newfoundland to Virginia, and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
Seasonal presence: Northern populations migrate south for winter, while others stay put year-round. In the U.S. it is a rare accidental visitor, not a regular resident.

Behavior

Diet: Mostly fish, plus frogs, crustaceans, and insects caught in shallow water. It also takes small mammals and young birds.

Life cycle

Breeding season: Breeds in spring in much of its native range; the timing varies by region.
Nest: Nests in colonies called , usually high in trees.
Clutch size: 3–5 bluish-green eggs
Incubation: About 25 days
Fledging: Chicks fly at 7–8 weeks.

Name and classification

About the name: Four are recognized: the Eurasian Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea cinerea) of Europe, Africa, and western Asia; Jouy's Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea jouyi) of eastern Asia, including Korea and Japan; the Malagasy Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea firasa) of Madagascar; and the Mauritanian Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea monicae) of islands off Mauritania.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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