On wintering grounds in South West Africa, the gray heron is considered a useful bird, since there it eats mainly harmful insects and even reptiles. Video and photo

Detachment— Cranes

Family— Herons

Genus/Species— Ardea cinerea. gray heron

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: 90-95 cm, head and neck are longer than the body.

Wing length: up to 47.2 cm.

Weight: 1.5-2 kg.

BREEDING

Puberty: usually from 2 years.

Bearing: one per year.

Number of eggs: 4-6.

Incubation of eggs: 26-27 days.

Feeding chicks: 50-55 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: gray heron (see photo) is a flocking bird; nests in colonies; the male guards the territory.

Food: fish, insects, birds, small mammals.

Lifespan: The oldest known bird was 25 years and 4 months old.

RELATED SPECIES

Red heron, common heron and others.

The gray heron, which is motionless, lying in wait for prey, or slowly walking along the shallows, seems slow and clumsy. However, with the appearance of a fish, a frog or a small bird, a complete transformation takes place: the heron kills its prey with a lightning strike of its beak.

BREEDING

The nesting period for herons begins in early spring. Each male defends his territory during the nesting period. If another male approaches, the owner of the territory straightens his neck and threateningly directs a sharp beak in his direction. The owner of the territory often attacks an alien who is already moving away. To attract a female, the male during the day, and sometimes at night, performs the “marriage song” several times. In the case of a female approaching, the male performs a courtship dance, during which he raises his beak to the sky.

These birds build nests in trees, large bushes or in reed beds. The male and female build the nest together. The finished nest has the shape of a cone turned upside down. With an interval of two days, the female lays from 4 to 6 greenish-blue eggs.

After laying the first egg, gray herons begin to incubate it. Therefore, the first hatched chick will be much larger than subsequent ones. The eggs are incubated alternately by the female and the male. After the chicks hatch, they take part in feeding them together.

The chicks that have hatched are helpless, but already sighted. At the age of 7-9 days they have feathers, and by the 16th day they can already stand on their feet.

WHERE Dwells

Gray herons search for food on the banks of streams and slow-flowing rivers, in shallow lake waters and in sunny sea bays. Sometimes, early in the morning, gray herons fly into garden ponds and catch golden fish and crucians from them. They also regularly visit streams and rivers where water mills stand. In winter, birds among the blackberry bushes prey on mice and voles. After a heavy snowfall, when land animals become inaccessible, herons eat blackberries.

They build their nests in coastal trees. In some areas, herons nest in reed beds, in bushes and on rocks.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

The heron often hunts near the shore or wanders in shallow water, where the water in the deepest place barely reaches her belly. She patiently waits for the appearance of some careless animal - then she quickly stretches her neck and grabs the prey with a strong, long and sharp beak, from which the prey can no longer slip out. Together with fish, the gray heron also catches other small animals: insects, small mammals and birds, frogs, snakes and even crayfish. A place suitable for hunting is often located at a distance of up to 30 km from the nesting colony. If the hunting grounds are rich in food, then a considerable number of gray herons can be on them at the same time.

GRAY HERON WATCHING

During rest, the gray heron hides its head between the shoulder blades. Despite their large size, the heron is very difficult to spot. A not very attentive researcher notices it only when it gets very close to it, and the heron straightens its neck, lets out a loud cry of “crack” and flies away. In flight, the heron bends its neck into an "S" shape and stretches its legs far back. Thanks to the measured movements of the wings, the flight of a bird looks very elegant. The bird is noticeably smaller than the white crane. One should not disturb herons in their nesting places without reason, as these birds are very shy and may leave them.

• The largest heron in the world is the gray heron, which lives in the African thickets of papyrus, its height reaches 140 cm.
• Central European gray herons are partially migratory, meaning not all birds fly south in winter. During severe winters, many of those birds that remain die of starvation (if there is a lot of snow). Northern gray herons migrate in flocks and winter in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The heron always takes off easily, even if it is in the water.
• The heron always tries to swallow the fish from the head. Therefore, fish bones, scales and fins do not get stuck in her throat.

GRAY HERON Plumage

To protect the feathers from getting wet, the heron, in addition to the coccygeal gland, has a special fluff, which eventually turns into a powder that covers the feathers, like talcum powder. This down grows in herons on the chest and on the back. Adult herons of both sexes are indistinguishable from each other. Gray plumage with black and white stripes on the neck darkens slightly in winter.

Young birds up to two years of age have a small crest on their heads, they have darker plumage, their first winter plumage is brown.

- Habitat of the gray heron

WHERE THE GRAY HERON LIVES

The gray heron is distributed in Europe and Asia from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Sakhalin and the Japanese Islands, south to Northwest Africa and Sri Lanka, north to St. Petersburg and Yakutsk. Breeds in Madagascar. Winters in most of Africa, India and Indochina.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The number of herons is declining in many places. Today gray herons are under protection.

Gray Heron.mpg. Video (00:00:45)

Gray Heron in Virgin Wasteland Park. 06/24/2010, 14:03

US gray heron. Video (00:04:23)

Gray heron. Video (00:00:41)

Gray heron. Video (00:00:29)

Gray heron on a walk

Gray Heron Gray Heron.mp4. Video (00:03:06)

From the first days of their arrival, herons started building nests and laying eggs.

Gray Heron in the Vondelpark Video (00:01:58)

Slow walks in the Dutch park with a gray heron.

Gyrfalcon and gray heron: birds pretend. Video (00:05:51)

The heron is gray. Birds of Brateevograd. Video (00:00:43)

In Moscow, the gray heron is constantly observed during periods of seasonal migration.
In Brateevo and Maryino, the gray heron was often seen during flights with a rest stop at the end of the Maryinskaya embankment and on the opposite Brateevsky coast near the water.
In spring, summer and autumn, a pair of herons is seen in the park on the circle of Bratislava Street.

czapla siwa (Ardea cinerea) Gray Heron, Graureiher-cinerea, Gray Heron. Video (00:01:35)

Nowe Potulice 09/29/2013.

Heron: description, types and habits. Where does the heron live and what does it eat. Heron hunting

October 23, 2011 Hunting and fishing, Birds of prey

The heron is a fairly familiar bird for Russian landscapes. Despite the quantitative smallness, the distribution of the heron is so wide that it covers large areas around the world.

According to their species diversity, herons are Egyptian, gray, white, sunny, red, night heron, and so on. However, the classification is not limited to this - some types of herons are also divided into subspecies.

Description of herons

The appearance of a heron, especially its color, largely depends on the species to which the bird belongs. However, certain external characteristics that are common to all herons belonging to this family can also be noted. So, herons are swamp birds on long and thin legs without membranes.

There are small, medium and large herons in size. All herons have special powders with which they powder their plumage, and do not lubricate it, unlike other near-water birds. On the paw of the heron there is a special finger, which differs in shape (it is slightly longer) - the heron uses it as a “comb”. The wings are blunt at the ends.

new entries

The neck is arched, S-shaped. The beak is long, large and powerful. Herons have a typical physique: long legs and neck, vertically located body.

Description of the white heron

White herons are medium and large.

The plumage always has a white tone, regardless of the variety (a very large number of subspecies of this bird are known). The color can be either predominantly white (for example, in the little heron), or simply present (in the blue-footed heron). Sometimes it can appear only at a certain age of birds - like in young blue herons.

Paws are dark grey. Body weight - about 1 kilogram, depending on the population.

Description of the Egyptian heron

Egyptian herons are distinguished by a shorter beak compared to other members of the genus. The neck and head are painted in a yellow-ocher tone, the body is white, the beak is yellow-lemon. During the mating season, some changes occur in the appearance of the Egyptian heron - she has a yellow crest and untwisted elongated feathers in the back of the same yellowish hue.

They fall out in autumn. The wing reaches a length of 22 cm to 25 cm.

Description of the gray heron

The gray heron has a large neck and legs. The plumage is painted in gray and gray shades. There are dark stripes all over the top of the heron's neck. The beak is brown, the wings are darker than the body, the paws are grayish-yellow.

On the head of the gray heron is the so-called braid (a kind of head "dress"). In some cases, the body weight reaches 2 kg, the standard weight of gray herons is 1.5 kg. Males are usually larger than females. The wing length of the first is approximately 47.2 cm, the second is 45.8 cm.

Description of the red heron

The red heron is almost similar to the gray heron. It is distinguished from it by much smaller sizes and dark red (almost chestnut) color of the feather.

Males also outnumber females in size. The average weight of a bird is up to 1 kilogram. Wing length - up to 37 cm.

Description of the night heron

The night heron is a small heron. It has yellow long legs. Her eyes are yellow. The beak is powerful and large. On the head there are feathers that form a special "scarf". Neck - chestnut color, long. The plumage is a dark green tone.

Types of herons

There are a large number of herons, which form not only species, but also subspecies.

In general, this family of herons includes 63 species that belong to 16 genera. The most famous and common types of herons:

• gray heron (consists of 4 subspecies);
• white heron (consists of at least 12 subspecies);
• Egyptian heron;
• red heron;
• quack and so on.

Heron habits

The heron is, first of all, a marsh bird, therefore, its habits are appropriate.

It forms whole colonies, equipping nests in reed beds, on stunted trees or shrubs growing near swampy reservoirs. The movements of the heron are slow and majestic, accompanied by stretching the neck forward. The heron can go hunting both alone and in groups. The heron is most active at dusk and during the day (at this time she gets her own food). At the onset of late evening, he tries to hide in a shelter.

The gray heron spends a long time standing on one leg in complete immobility.

All species of this bird are quite aggressive towards each other during feeding, therefore, they often take the caught food from one another. If danger threatens, the heron stretches its neck and freezes, but it is ready to take off at any moment. When hunting, the heron keeps its head lowered, looking out for its prey. If she comes across a large one, then the heron first sharply hits her, then grabs her with her beak and shakes her.

Egyptian herons have slightly different habits, as they always adhere to herds of large animals (usually wild ungulates), on whose back they spend a very long time.

Habitats of herons

The Egyptian heron is found mainly in the southern hemisphere.

Recently seen at the mouth of the Volga. It lives widely in Africa, where it is distributed from the southern regions of the continent to the east coast and Senegal. It also inhabits South Asian territories. Found in the B. Sunda Islands, the Philippines and southern Japan. Egrets have a wider distribution and are found everywhere, with the exception of Antarctica. There are especially many of them in Africa. On the territory of Russia, there are mainly three species - gray, small and great egrets.

The gray heron is distributed mainly in Asia, Europe (in countries with a temperate climate), inhabiting the zones from the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean (to the north - to Yakutsk and St. Petersburg, to the south - to Ceylon and northwestern Africa ). The red heron is found in the southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula - its nesting sites go to Pakistan and Iraq through Hungary and the entire Balkan Peninsula. It can also be found in Hindustan, Indochina, China, Ceylon and Primorye.

In the east it covers the territory of Taiwan, Ryuko, the Philippine Islands, in the south - the M. Sunda Islands and Sulawesi. It is not rare in Africa either.

Where does the heron live

Any heron lives primarily in swampy areas. However, the specifics in this case depend most of all on the species to which the heron belongs.

For example, Egyptian herons can live among herds of ungulates (hippos, rhinos, etc.), on whose backs they spend most of their time. The gray heron is a typical representative of birds that are found along lakes, streams, rivers and marshes.

At the same time, the salinity of the water does not matter to them. For herons, the main factor is the presence of shallow water. The white heron settles near water bodies located both inside the continent and near the sea. Her favorite places to live are mangroves, salt and fresh lakes, shores, floodplains, marshy lowlands.

It is also found among agricultural plantings, in fields, near drainage channels.

What does a heron eat

The basic diet of any type of heron is made up of frogs, fish, crayfish, snakes, tailless amphibians, and rodents. The heron also feeds on all kinds of insects (crickets, grasshoppers) and their larvae, field mice, rats, medium-sized ground squirrels and lizards. The red heron can peck locusts, and the Egyptian one can eat ticks and underwear insects, which she catches in the wool and on the skins of animals.

The white heron often eats sparrow chicks and other medium-sized birds.

heron hunting

Hunting for herons is prohibited in Russia- due to the small number of this bird.

The peak of its mining came in the 19th century. Then such a privilege was available exclusively to the nobility, but ordinary people were strictly forbidden to hunt herons, since the heron was considered noble. Previously, the heron was a classic trophy in falconry and rifle hunting.

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Appearance and behavior. Large heron, body length 90–98 cm, weight 1.1–2.3 kg, wingspan 175–195 cm. The color is generally gray, sometimes very light individuals are found. In adult birds during the mating season, a thin crest is on the head, elongated feathers are visible at the bottom of the neck. A sedentary bird, able to stand for hours in shallow water or at the edge of reed beds, practically without changing its posture.

Sometimes it is found in dry places, where it behaves in the same way. Often sits on trees, especially likes individual protruding dry branches. In danger, it flies away, rises from the ground easily, without a run, even from dense thickets. The flight is light and unhurried; during the flight in a group, gray herons often line up in a line or wedge.

Active around the clock.

Description. The main color tone is ash-gray, the flight and tail feathers are almost black, on the underside of the neck there are longitudinal dark streaks, the belly is white, the sides of the body are black, a black-and-white spot stands out in a standing bird on the wing fold.

In adult birds, the head is almost white, only a black “bandage” stretches from the eye to the back of the head, turning into a thin hanging braid. Young birds are less contrasting, their head is grayish, with a black “cap”. The legs are greenish-gray, the beak of adult birds is yellow, in the mating season it is pinkish, the eyes are yellow.

In young birds, the beak is two-colored - the mandible is black, the mandible is yellow. The down of the chicks is light gray. The flying gray herons are well distinguished from the red herons by the contrasting coloration of the wings (light gray and black) and longer legs.

Distribution, status. The breeding range covers a significant part of Eurasia and Africa. In European Russia, the most widespread heron, found from Karelia in the north to the Black Sea coast in the south.

Migratory bird in the middle lane, sometimes hibernates in the south, in recent years there have been winter sightings near Moscow. It is common, although not numerous, in the south in many places it is inferior in number to other types of herons - for example, little white or night heron. In spring it arrives very early, the first birds near the colonies can be seen even when there is snow all around and water bodies are covered with ice. Flies away late, some birds linger almost until freezing.

Lifestyle. Settles on various reservoirs, usually nests in colonies - mainly on trees, as well as in flooded bushes or reed beds. Colonies can be located in the forest at a distance of up to several kilometers from the reservoir. Colonies vary in size, with several hundred pairs nesting together in the south of the region. Nests, like those of other herons, are shaped like an inverted cone with translucent walls through which eggs are clearly visible.

When nesting on trees and shrubs, the main building material is thin dry twigs and branches. Nests are extremely light, so thin tree branches and reed stalks support them.

Pairs form for life. The clutch contains 3-5 greenish-blue eggs the size of a chicken or slightly larger.

The clutch is incubated mainly by the female. Newborn chicks are completely helpless, but sighted. Adult birds feed them by regurgitating semi-digested food. Chicks rise to their feet about 2 weeks after hatching.

In a strong wind, the grown chicks often fall out of the nests located on the trees. In this case, they are almost certainly doomed to death, since the parents do not feed the chicks outside the nest, and they are not able to return there on their own, not being able to fly.

All about herons: photo, description, interesting facts

They usually feed on water bodies, but sometimes they can lie in wait for prey in the fields - most often this happens in early spring. Like all herons, they eat any animals that they can handle and swallow. It is relatively easy to swallow fish up to 30 cm long and rodents the size of a rat. During the hunt, they stand in shallow water for a long time, patiently waiting for the victim to approach an accessible distance.

They lie in wait at the holes of gophers and voles. Less often, in search of food, they walk along shallows and dry areas.

Gray heron (Ardea cinerea)

The heron belongs to the group of ankle-footed, detachment of storks. There are over 60 species of these birds.

Despite the name of the detachment, the closest relationship unites herons with night herons and bitterns, and only then come storks.

But the crane and the heron, despite popular belief, have nothing in common, like the heron and the flamingo.

Description of the heron

Based on the diversity of heron species, it can be concluded that these birds can differ significantly from each other in appearance. All herons are predominantly monochromatic in color. Only a few species combine two colors, mostly white with black.

However, despite the fact that the size of the smallest of the representatives of the species is 3 times smaller than the largest of them, which reaches one and a half meters in height, the structure of their body is such that you cannot confuse the heron with any other bird.

Without exception, all herons have a long neck, beak, legs and are distinguished by large wings and a small tail. At rest, the heron's neck is bent in the shape of the letter S.

During the hunt, it straightens up, and the straight, sharp beak strikes the prey like a spear. In addition, the beak is equipped with sharp edges, sometimes even with notches, so that when grabbing it, it will not miss the living creatures.

Even though the heron's habitat is near the water, it does not have a gland with which to grease its feathers, protecting them.

As a kind of protection, the heron uses its own fluff, the areas with which are called powder coats.

It crumbles easily and turns into powder. Herons cover their feathers with it. They do this every day, so the herons always look well-groomed in the photo.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Herons have a fairly wide range of habitats. They can not be found except in Antarctica and the Arctic. The most common species in Russia is the gray heron.

Moreover, these birds prefer to nest near small reservoirs. They are not often found on the coast.

Herons prefer to settle at a considerable distance from each other, although there are species that settle in groups close enough, especially in places rich in food.

Herons feed mainly on living creatures that live in the water - fish, frogs, snakes. They will not refuse insects, as well as rodents and small birds or their chicks.

Some types of herons hunt from ambush, others use waiting tactics. Some birds even lure their prey by standing in the water and moving their fingers.

Egyptian herons generally prefer to hunt insects, following herds of herbivores. Thus, they are not attached to water at all.

And the black heron, standing in the water, creates a shadow with its wings, attracting fish in this way. In addition, this allows her to better view her prey, removing glare from the sun.

Herons living in tropical latitudes do not make long flights. From temperate latitudes, every autumn, herons go to warmer climes. Their migrations are difficult to notice, since they do not stray into large flocks, and their flight is not at all fast.

heron breeding

Forming pairs for one season, herons are still monogamous birds. They breed once a year. During the mating season, birds may change their appearance.

Male great egrets, for example, grow long feathers. Often in herons during this period, the color of the beak and the skin around the eyes changes.

It is very interesting to observe the mating rites of these birds. During courtship, the male raises his crest, can squat and crack his beak.

However, by attracting a female in this way, he chooses only patient individuals. And if the female approaches the male too hastily, she may be rejected by him.

The nest is built jointly by both partners, while the male is responsible for obtaining material, and the female must lay it.

The most common place to build a nest is in a tree, but there are herons that prefer coastal thickets. The nest consists of a bunch of branches laid rather loosely. Moreover, the height of the nest can be more than 50 cm.

Eggs of herons are white or blue-green. The female lays two to seven eggs and incubates them with the male for about a month.

Naked after hatching from eggs, the chicks are covered with down only after a week. Since herons swallow their food whole, they feed the chicks by regurgitating it.

If there is a large brood in the nest, then there is not enough food for everyone at once, so the strongest get it, respectively, and only 1-3 chicks survive, depending on the abundance of food.

The chicks begin to fly at about one and a half months and remain close to their parents until puberty, which occurs at 2 years.

Heron photo

The Heron is a large bird belonging to the Heron family, the Heron genus. Their closest relatives are night herons, bitterns. And with storks, with which they have some external resemblance, they are connected only by a distant relationship.

Kinds

This is a fairly common bird - a heron. Description, its types are presented in almost all ornithological reference books. Numerous types of herons differ not only in color, but also in size, which can be different: from forty centimeters to one and a half meters. The average weight of birds does not exceed two and a half kilograms.

Representatives of different species usually have a monochromatic color: white, red, black, gray, but there are also two-colored herons. Most often, the paws are painted in a darker color. The plumage is smooth, and the head is often decorated with a crest. Its size depends on the species.

Today, fourteen main species of these birds are distinguished. The most famous of them:

• black;
• big blue;
• red heron;
• black neck;
• white;

We will talk about the latter in more detail.

Gray heron: description

This is one of the largest representatives of the family. The weight of the bird reaches two kilograms, the body length is slightly more than a meter, the wingspan is from 1.5 to 1.75 m. The bird's head is narrow, decorated with a large pinkish beak resembling a dagger. It is very sharp and long - up to thirteen centimeters.

On the back of the head is a "pigtail" - a black bunch of feathers hanging down. The neck is long and very flexible. The head, neck and underparts are off-white, with dark streaks visible in front. On the rest of the body, the feathers are gray with a bluish tint. The feet are also grey, but have a yellow tint.

During the mating season, the gray heron looks especially impressive: the beak becomes much brighter, and the characteristic “pigtail” blooms. The iris is yellow, with a greenish tint. Around the eyes, the unfeathered rings are greenish.

In flight, the gray heron folds its neck, which takes the shape of the letter S so that the head lies on its back. At the same time, the legs are extended far beyond the end of the tail. That is why the silhouette of a flying bird is somewhat humpbacked, with a protrusion that forms the bend of the neck. This is the main difference between the heron and other long-necked birds - cranes, storks, which keep their neck straight in flight, and their head protrudes far forward.

On the belly, chest and in the groin, the tips of the feathers often break off and crumble into small scales, turning into a special powder with which the herons sprinkle their feathers. This procedure is necessary so that they do not stick together from fish mucus. Ornithologists call this powder powders, which are found in all types of herons. This peculiar heron powder is applied with the help of an elongated claw with notches on the middle finger.

There is no sexual dimorphism in the color of the gray heron, the birds differ only in size: males are noticeably larger than females.

Habitat

Now let's find out where the gray heron lives. This species is distributed in Asia and Europe: from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the Japanese Islands and to Sakhalin, in the south to Sri Lanka and Northwest Africa, in the north to Yakutsk and St. Petersburg. It usually breeds in Madagascar. Winters in many regions of India, Indochina and Africa.

Probably, many of our readers remember well the soulful performance of the song by Nikita Mikhalkov in the film "Cruel Romance", in which there are such lines:

"Shaggy bumblebee - for fragrant hops,

Gray heron - in the reeds ... "

Indeed, in many regions, the heron of this species prefers to build nests in the reeds, for example, in Turkmenistan. In addition, their nests can also be seen in trees.

reproduction

The nesting period begins in early spring. At this time, the male desperately defends his territory. When an opponent approaches, the owner straightens his neck and directs his sharp beak towards the intruder. Often, he will even attack an alien who prefers to leave faster.

During the day, the male performs a "marriage serenade" to attract the female. And when the female approaches him, he performs an incendiary dance, raising his beak to the sky.

Gray heron: type of chicks

It should be noted that gray herons are excellent parents. They share all worries about breeding offspring equally. Together they build a nest in trees, large bushes, in thickets of reeds or reeds. It has the shape of a cone turned upside down.

With an interval of two days, the female lays from four to six eggs, which are painted in a greenish-blue color. As with all representatives of the ankle-footed order, the brood of this species is of the chick type. In other words, the chicks are born naked and completely helpless, but sighted at the same time. From the first minutes they need the care and increased attention of their parents.

After the first egg is laid, the parents begin to incubate it, and both the female and the male do this in turn. Perhaps that is why the first-born is always the largest. When all the chicks hatch, caring parents feed them together. After seven to nine days, the first feathers appear in the chicks, and after two weeks they are on their feet.

Lifestyle

For the most part, the gray heron bird is nomadic or migratory. Only in some places she lives settled. In Russia, the gray heron is a typical long distance migrant. The analysis of banding carried out by ornithologists showed that the wintering grounds of the gray heron are scattered over a vast territory. For example, from Western Siberia and the European part of Russia, a large number of herons fly for wintering to Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.

Another part of this population does not go on such a long journey and stays for the winter in the countries of Southern and Western Europe. In Southeast and South Asia, in Africa, on the Malay Archipelago, the gray heron leads either a sedentary or nomadic lifestyle. Most often, herons migrate in small groups, but sometimes they gather in large flocks of up to two hundred and fifty birds. Solitary herons on migration are extremely rare.

Flight for the winter

These birds fly at a fairly high altitude, not only during the day, but also at night. The autumn migration usually takes place at dusk, after sunset, and during the day the flocks stop to rest and eat. When taking off, the great gray heron flaps its wings very quickly, and its legs hang freely in the air. Having reached the desired height, the bird picks up its legs and then flies smoothly, with measured movements of the wings. Sometimes she briefly floats in the air.

In flight, flocks of herons form a straight line or wedge. Gray herons nest in colonies with up to twenty nests. In Europe, where these birds are now protected, there are huge colonies consisting of thousands of nests. However, cases of separate nesting of pairs are not uncommon. Sometimes the colonies are mixed: other species of herons, spoonbills, ibis settle in them. In the middle zone of our country, where other species of herons and ibis are not found, monospecific colonies are formed.

The gray heron can be active at any time of the day, they cannot be called either diurnal or nocturnal birds. In the course of long-term observations, it was established that the time of these birds is distributed as follows:

• 77% of the time they are hunting and awake;
• Birds sleep 5.9% of the time;
• 16.6% are engaged in hygiene procedures.

Interesting data, isn't it? For a significant part of its life, the heron stands motionless, with its neck drawn in, on one leg, and the other one is pressed.

Gray herons have a well-developed system of visual signals. A long and flexible neck can express different emotions. For example, threatening the enemy, the heron arches its neck, as if preparing for a throw, and raises a crest on its head. Usually such a pose is accompanied by a menacing cry. When birds greet each other, they click their beaks quickly, quickly. Such clicking can be heard during the mating ritual.

During rest, the heron hides its head between the shoulder blades. Despite the rather large size, the heron is not easy to notice in natural conditions. An inexperienced and attentive researcher will notice it only when it comes very close to it. At this moment, the heron straightens its neck, loudly pronounces “crack” and immediately soars into the sky.

Nutrition

The diet of the gray heron is only animal food. It is an active, agile and extremely voracious predator. Its prey is any land or aquatic animal with which the heron is able to physically cope. But since these birds spend most of their lives near water bodies, it is easy to guess what the gray heron eats.

The dominant position in their diet is occupied by fish, no longer than twenty-five centimeters and weighing no more than five hundred grams. The gray heron will not refuse frogs, various insects, crustaceans, mollusks. On land, these are usually lizards and small rodents, snakes, large grasshoppers, beetles and locusts.

How does a heron hunt?

The gray heron is a very agile and agile hunter. Moreover, in her arsenal there are many ways of hunting, and all of them are quite diverse. Interestingly, different individuals prefer to use their own methods of obtaining food. Most often, the heron stands still or wanders slowly through shallow water, looking out for its prey.

Then there is a throw of the head on a fully extended neck - and prey in the bird's beak. Sometimes during such a hunt, they open their wings. Perhaps in this way they frighten the victim or obscure the water to make it easier to see the prey.

Gray herons have also been seen in unseemly acts: they are not averse to stealing prey from their neighbors (gulls, cormorants). But sometimes they are robbed by smart crows. Gray herons can hunt without moving away from the colony, and can fly over considerable distances (up to thirty kilometers).

Vocal data

The repertoire of gray herons is quite diverse, although ornithologists classify these birds as silent. The most commonly heard is a rough and slightly raspy call, reminiscent of the short cawing of a crow. Herons publish it, as a rule, on the fly. It can be heard from a great distance.

All other sounds are made by gray herons in the colony during nesting. A short chuckle is an alarm signal, a lingering vibrating throat sound indicates aggression. A deaf short croak means that a male is present in the flock. Birds that gather in large groups within the colony are constantly "negotiating" among themselves, making croaking and croaking calls.

conservation status

Today, the number of gray herons is quite high in almost all parts of its vast range. Today, in accordance with the international status, this bird belongs to the species whose existence does not cause serious concern. The total number of this species, according to the latest data, ranges from seven hundred thousand to three and a half million individuals. The most numerous populations of this bird are in Russia, Japan and China.

And more recently, it was a rare species in need of protection. The gray heron in the Kirov region, for example, was listed in the regional Red Book in 2001. But already in the new edition (2011), this species was excluded from the list of protected species, since their abundance in the region was restored.

However, in some regions of Russia, the gray heron is still a rarity. The Red Book of Kamchatka has been replenished with this species, in accordance with the agreement between Russia, India and Japan on the protection of migratory birds.

• The largest heron in the world is the gray heron, which lives in papyrus thickets in Africa. Its height is one hundred and forty centimeters.
• The gray herons of Central Europe are partly migratory, as not all birds fly south in winter. During especially severe and snowy winters, many birds that remain in their places of permanent residence die of starvation.
• The heron always takes off very easily, even if it is in the water at the time of takeoff.
• The gray heron swallows the fish from the head. For this reason, scales, fish bones and fins never get stuck in her throat.

In the middle of the swamp, a lonely "ballerina" stands motionless. Graceful, in an elegant outfit, she, like a flower on a stem, rises above the green surface of the water. What was this beauty thinking about, standing on one leg? Who is she and why is she here?

This is a heron. It's time for dinner and she's on the lookout for prey. The swamp offers a varied menu, but the feathered mademoiselle has a fish day today and it will certainly take place, because the heron is a successful hunter.

The life of a heron is amazing. Biologists who have studied it claim that these are all interesting facts:

• More than 60 species of herons are known and described today. The area of ​​​​their distribution is extensive - it is a lot of islands and almost all continents, except for Antarctica;
• The largest individuals are up to one and a half meters tall, and the smallest - up to 40 cm;
• The maximum life expectancy is 25 years.
• during migratory flights, herons were seen at an altitude of 2000 m (helicopters fly at such an altitude)
• As a near water bird, it feeds on amphibians and fish, but never dives or swims.
• When eating fish, the heron swallows it head first so as not to injure the esophagus;
• In anticipation of prey, the heron has to stand for hours in cold water, which is why she draws in one leg, warming it. This "signature" stance distinguishes it from other birds.
• The heron creates a shadow by luring the fish. To increase the shading area, she spreads her huge wings and folds them into a dome, while lowering her head down. This technique allows not only to attract more fish, but also to choose the best one, because the “umbrella” saves the bird’s eyes from blinding water reflections.

Appearance care

Heron, like a real fashionista, pays a lot of attention to her appearance and spares no time in caring for her feathers. Her "cosmetic bag" is always with her - small feathers grow all over her body - powders, which tend to break off and crumble from time to time, forming a kind of powder. Having preliminarily combed with his own finger, the bird “powders”, distributing the pieces of fluff throughout the “clothes”. This treatment makes the plumage water-repellent and does not get wet.

Other birds, whose life is connected with water, have a coccygeal gland in the tail area. It secretes a special secret that protects the cover from getting wet. The heron has such a miracle - there is no means.

Caution: love

During the mating season, the heron is transformed. In some of its species, luxurious feathers called aigrets grow on their backs. The color of the skin around the beak and eyes changes, as if the bird has applied makeup. In males, the ability to sing and dance opens up: fluffing openwork aigrettes and shaking a tuft, the boyfriend performs ritual squats. The dance is accompanied by songs and beak crackling. Such a cacophony is capable of driving crazy not only local young ladies, but also all living things within the radius of the swamp.

Mating behavior does not leave indifferent feathered compatriots and soon a charming silhouette of a friend appears on the horizon. But woe to her if she decides to approach too soon. For such frivolity, you can get cuffs and be expelled, so it's better to be patient and wait for the gentleman's initiative. Paradox, and nothing more. There is an explanation for this: female and male herons look no different. Therefore, the male, before being happy, must make sure that he has a young lady in front of him, and not a competitor-rival.

Family

Herons are considered monogamous. But is it possible to consider a monogamous relationship lasting one season? As an exception, there are couples whose family life lasts two years or more.

The purpose of creating a family is the appearance of offspring. But first, the future mom and dad build a nest, approaching this very rationally: so that there is no conflict of interest, the female is appointed as the architect and builder, and the male is engaged in the search and delivery of building materials.

If a strong last year's nest turned out to be in sight and it is not occupied by anyone, the family will gladly repair the "secondary", because it is less expensive than the cost of new housing.

Waiting for offspring

Having laid eggs (they are usually from 2 to 7), the couple awaits the appearance of offspring. Heron eggs are unusual in appearance, they have a greenish color and an oblong shape.

Both parents take turns incubating. This is a difficult period. There are many enemies around who want to eat eggs or chicks, but the heron will selflessly protect the masonry in case of danger, and will not leave it. With her harpoon beak, she is able to drive ill-wishers away from the nest.

The chicks are born in a month and the parents begin new chores.

Herons and people

Dutch herons have refuted this version. They settled in large numbers in Amsterdam and feel great in the conditions of civilization.

A huge population of these birds chose the Dutch capital for life more than 10 years ago. City life came to the taste of the birds, and they are not going to return to the swamps.

There are no problems with food - in the markets you can always beg for a fish or two or slowly steal from the counter. But the kind residents of Amsterdam often feed their feathered neighbors themselves and do it with pleasure.

Herons roam freely around the city to the delight of the townspeople and the amazement of numerous tourists, take pictures with pleasure, receiving delicious "fees" for photo shoots.

Europeans treat with warmth and love the long-legged birds that have adorned Amsterdam, becoming its next attraction.

Good relations with herons did not always develop. In the century before last, beautiful birds were massively shot by people because of the fashion for women's hats decorated with openwork feathers.

The terrible times are over. Today, the heron is not considered a rare bird, but the number of its individual species has not yet recovered.

Herons are a group of legged birds that lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Herons are birds that belong to the order of storks.

In total, there are more than sixty species of them in nature. Herons can be of different sizes, mainly depending on the type of bird.

Small herons reach a height of only half a meter, and the tallest, grow to almost one and a half meters. The average weight of a bird is two kilograms. The most famous among herons: black, gray heron,.

The heron is a very recognizable creature and it is almost impossible to confuse it with another bird. The distinctive features of herons can be considered: long and thin legs, a long beak, which stands out for its directness, a sharp but short tail, and a long neck. If the heron is in a calm state, then it keeps its neck in a half-folded position, and only during the hunt does the neck straighten. But if you look closely, you can find that the bend of the neck of the herons is ugly and it feels like it is broken.

The heron is smooth to the touch, often there is a small crest on the head. Almost always, birds have a single color, for example: red, white, black, gray. But there are also species that have a two-tone color, most often a combination of white and black, along with a yellow beak and dark paws.

Herons are distributed all over the world, and probably even a child knows what a heron looks like. They can be seen on all continents, and some species live on the islands. Not a word about the heron is spoken only in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica.

Wherever herons live, they are tied to water, most often birds are found near swamps, rivers, meadows, lakes, rivers and thickets. In large reservoirs, a heron can rarely be found, but still possible.

The food of herons can be called varied. They like all aquatic life, such as toads and frogs, fry, snakes, snakes, tadpoles, fish, newts, insects and crustaceans. Some species of these birds also feed on warm-blooded animals such as rodents and moles.

There are also representatives of these birds who hunt from ambush, and make their hunting path in several ways, choosing the most optimal for themselves. But watching this is a pleasure: the heron gracefully walks on the water, very slowly, then freezes in one place for a while and looks closely for a long time. And when the prey becomes very close, the bird rushes at it and eats it.

Listen to the heron's voice

Reproduction in birds occurs only once a year. The heron can be considered a monogamous bird, but any pair is together for only one season. The male takes care of the female in a very original way: he crouches in front of her, constantly cracks his beak, and flaunts his tuft. And the female, who is interested in a partner, slowly approaches him. Why exactly slowly? It’s just that if she hurries, then the male will most likely reject her. But when she proves her patience, the male will be able to appreciate her. And then together the birds build a nest for themselves. Most of the work is done by the male, only the laying of the material rests on the shoulders of the female.