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Grey Heron Ardea cinerea   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae
BTO Codes: H. , GREHE EURING No: 1220
Number in Britain: 13 thousand nests (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: cinerea recorded in Britain (of 4 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 94 cm Wingspan: 185 cm Weight: M/F: 1.5 kg    
Scientific name from: L.: ardea=a heron and L.: cinereus=ash-coloured (from cinis=ashes)
World Distribution: Much of Europe, Asia (except ne) through Indonesia and sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Lakes, marshes, rivers, flooded fields
Diet: Animals, esp fish, amphibians, small mammals, insects and reptiles
TitBit: In the 16th/17th Century hunting herons with Peregrines was high sport and kings identified 'their' birds by means of metal leg rings, in Scotland being caught poaching could mean losing a hand  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 13 thousand nests in 2003
    First Record: 8th Century [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
    Latest Survey: Marchant et al. (2004) Ibis 146:323-334
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Along Rivers
    Also common in: Lakes
    And found in: Marsh, Estuaries, Ponds
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 185 to 230 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: BirdTrack
Heronries Survey
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 61 x 43 mm Egg Weight: 61.0 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 369
Clutch Size: 3 - 4 eggs 3.66 ± 1.06 (2 - 7) N = 264
Incubation: 27 - 27 days 26.95 ± 0.90 (27 - 29) N = 264 by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 50 - 55 days 52.87 ± 2.62 (50 - 55) N = 1506 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 12 Mar (19 Feb - 2 May)
Number of Broods: 1(2)
Trends in Breeding Productivity

Number Ringed: 607
Adult Survival: 0.732 Juvenile Survival: 0.26 (to age 2 )
Age at First Breeding: 2 years Typical Lifespan: 5 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 23yr9m   (The Netherlands: 35yr 1m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: J
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
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Other Names
Includes A. herodias
Gaelic: Corra-ghritheach Welsh: Crëyr Glas
Danish: Fiskehejre Dutch: Blauwe reiger
Finnish: Harmaahaikara French: Héron cendré
German: Graureiher Hungarian: Szürke gém
Icelandic: Gráhegri Irish: Corr Réisc
Italian: Airone cenerino Norwegian: Gråhegre
Polish: Czapla siwa Portuguese: Garça-real
Spanish: Garza real Swedish: Häger
Local Names: Harnser, Frank
Collective Noun: Siege (Breeding coloony=Heronry)
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Voisin, C. 1991 The herons of Europe Poyser, London [598.461 VOI]
   Lowe, F. 1954 The heron Collins, London [598.461 LOW]
   Kushlan, J.A. & Hancock, J. 2005 The Herons Oxford University Press [598.461 KUS]
See Also:
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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