Grey-t Heron!

Here are some pictures of majestic grey herons captured on UEA campus. Thought I'd switch it up this time with a factfile-style blog on these beautiful birds.

   




Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Family: Ardeidae (Heron family)
Size: 90-98cm high; 175-195cm wingspan; 1,500-2,000g weight
Appearance: long-legged, grey-backed bird, with a long white neck, black eyestripe and head feathers, and yellow bill
Voice: largely silent, occasionally harsh 'kraank' call
Range: widely distributed, from northern Scandinavia to southern Africa and Japan in the east
Migration: most UK populations resident
Habitat: canals, ponds, lakes and rivers across the UK
Flight: unmistakable with large size and wingspan and long legs but folded neck
Diet: fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, and occasionally small/juvenile birds and mammals
UK Population: 13,000 breeding pairs; 63,000 wintering birds
Breeding: nest in colonies called heronries at the top of trees in large, twig-built nests
Nesting: 3-4 eggs incubated for 26-27 days, and reared for 50-55 days until fledging
Life Expectancy: average 5 years; maximum 23 years
UK Conservation Status: Green

References:




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