Grey heron

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a bird that lives in temperate parts of Europe, Asia and also parts of Africa. It has long legs and walks through shallow water looking for food. The bird's scientific name is Ardea cinerea.

Grey heron
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Pelecaniformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Genus:	Ardea
Binomial name
Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758
Light green: summer Dark green: all year Blue: winter

Skull

Ardea cinerea

The heron is intelligent, and can catch prey so large it can only swallow them with difficulty. Here a green heron uses bread as a bait for fish: YouTube Video

• Grey heron fishing
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Grey Heron Media

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  A. c. cinerea at Jamnagar, India

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  Grey heron and Caudipteryx skeletons

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  A Grey Heron in Regents Park standing in front of flowers

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  Range of A. cinerea      Breeding      Resident      Non-breeding      Vagrant (seasonality uncertain)     Extant & Introduced (resident)

• Grey heron flies a short distance in a Tokyo park, 2021

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  Grey heron eating a juvenile common moorhen

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  Grey heron flying with nesting material in Stockholm, Sweden

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  An adult feeding juveniles

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  A wild heron seeking food from a Humboldt penguin enclosure at Birdworld

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  East German postal stamp, 1959