Parques de Portugal

<p> <em>Ardea cinerea</em> Linnaeus, 1758</p>

Share Image

1. Personal Data

2. Image Upload

The files submitted on the website should be in JPEG or PNG format, with a maximum size of 5MB. By submitting this image you are authorizing its eventual publication in Natural.PT (its authorship will be mentioned).

  • Grey heron

  • Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758

  • Ardeidae

  • The grey heron is the biggest heron of our country. It presents a slim and imposing silhouette, with a long beak, neck and legs. It has grey plumage, lighter on its belly, a white head with black spots, white neck with black stripes and yellow beak and legs. In the mating season it exhibits a long black plume on its nape. It can grow to be 102 cm high and have 175 cm span.

  • Ria Formosa Nature Park

    S. Jacinto Dunes Nature Reserve

    Estuário do Tejo Nature Reserve

    Estuário do Sado Nature Reserve

    Lagoas de Santo André e da Sancha Nature Reserve

    Sapal de C. Marim e V. R. Sto. António Nature Reserve

    Lagoas de Bertiandos e S. Pedro de Arcos Protected Landscape

    Açude do Monte da Barca Local Protected Landscape

    Estuário do Douro Local Nature Reserve

  • Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

    Centro

    Algarve

    Norte

    Alentejo

  • Least Concern

  • The grey heron exists in several types of moist areas, including the coastal edge, rice fields, water courses, bogs, weirs and dams.

  • All year long

  • The grey heron feeds on fish, aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates. It gets its food by walking on land, low tide or shallow water or remaining still in wait.

  • The Portuguese population of this species is estimated to be between 1000 and 1500 couples.