The grey heron - (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is a long-legged, long-necked bird, grey color above and white below, with inclusions of black, with a rather long, sharp beak. It is big enough: the weight of an adult male can reach two kg. Females are slightly smaller than males, as for the rest they are almost the same.
The grey heron spreads very widely. Its areal covers a large part of Eurasia and Africa. At the same time, in most places it is common, often - large in number, the total population is growing. The main habitats are linked to water reservoirs, and almost around all reservoirs within the areal the gray heron is the most common type of Ciconiiformes. In a significant part of its areal the heron is a bird of passage, but in some places it lives all year round. Frequently it stays in groups which can be very big. Usually it nests in colonies, which birds of other species can join. Does not avoid the proximity of a person, often found in cultural landscapes, including large cities. The grey heron is the most well-known and well-studied of all the herons.
By Andrey Kostenko