A grey heron perched on the very top of a slender birch, wings spread wide as though it were a great bird of prey surveying its kingdom. Warm early morning light catches its neck and the leaves below, against a soft blue-grey forested mountainside.
#118

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Easy Least concern Photographed

1 photo Β· first photographed 2026-08-09

Distribution

Range

Loads map tiles and observation data from OpenStreetMap and GBIF.

Range: iNaturalist (CC BY 4.0) Β· Base map: Natural Earth (public domain)

Quick facts

Group
Birds
Family
Ardeidae
Size
84–102 cm (length)
Weight
1–2 kg
Diet
Fish eater
Lifespan
5–10 yrs
Habitat
Lakes, Rivers, Marshes, Coasts

About

The grey heron is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast.

Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), abridged.

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