Wildlifeof Vietnam
Grey Heron
Storks, Herons, Ibises & Pelicans
Photo: Frank Sengpiel · CC BY 4.0
Ardea cinerea
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Diet
Mostly aquatic creatures
Habitat
Lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and sea coasts
Range
Temperate Europe and Asia, and parts of Africa
Clutch size
Usually 3-5 eggs
Incubation period
About 25 days
Size
Up to 1m tall
Weight
1-2kg
The grey heron is a long-legged wading bird native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and parts of Africa. It stands up to 1 m tall and weighs 1 to 2 kg. The head and neck are white with a broad black stripe from the eye to the black crest, the body and wings are grey above and greyish-white below, and the long pointed bill is pinkish-yellow (Wikipedia, general species account).
It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures, caught by standing still beside or in the water or by stalking through the shallows. It breeds colonially in heronries, usually high in trees, laying usually three to five bluish-green eggs incubated by both birds for around 25 days. Chicks fledge at 7 to 8 weeks. Most northern birds migrate south in autumn.
Quick answers
- What does the Grey Heron eat?
- Mostly aquatic creatures
- What habitat does the Grey Heron live in?
- Lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and sea coasts
- Where is the Grey Heron found?
- Temperate Europe and Asia, and parts of Africa
- How many eggs does the Grey Heron lay?
- Usually 3-5 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Grey Heron incubated?
- About 25 days
- How big is the Grey Heron?
- Up to 1m tall
- How much does the Grey Heron weigh?
- 1-2kg