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{{Short description|Long-legged predatory wading bird}}
{{Good article}}
{{speciesbox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2019 |title=''Ardea cinerea'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T22696993A154525233 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22696993A154525233.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Graureiher Grey Heron.jpg
| image_caption = Near the [[Saaler Bodden]], [[Germany]]
| image2 =Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) (W ARDEA CINEREA R1 C19).ogg
| genus = Ardea
| species = cinerea
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
}}

The '''grey heron''' ('''''Ardea cinerea''''') is a long-legged wading [[bird]] of the [[heron]] family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate [[Europe]] and [[Palearctic|Asia]], and also parts of [[Africa]]. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts [[bird migration|migrate]] southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or stalking its prey through the shallows.

Standing up to {{convert|1|m|ftin}} tall, adults weigh from {{convert|1|to|2|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}. They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown.

The birds breed [[Colony (biology)|colonially]] in spring in [[Heronry|heronries]], usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for around 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when 7-8 weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about 5 years.

In [[Ancient Egypt]], the [[deity]] [[Bennu]] was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In [[Ancient Rome]], the heron was a bird of [[divination]]. Roast heron was once a specially prized dish; when [[George Neville (bishop)|George Neville]] became [[Archbishop of York]] in 1465, 400 herons were served to the guests.

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Grey Heron. AMSM4086.jpg|thumb|right|''A. c. cinerea'' at [[Jamnagar]], [[India]]]]
[[File:Caudipteryx, Senckenberg, 2017-10-12.jpg|thumb|Grey heron and ''[[Caudipteryx]]'' skeletons]]
Grey herons belong to the subfamily [[Ardeinae]], along with the majority of [[Extant taxon|extant]] species, which are known as the "typical herons".<ref name="HSG">{{cite web |year=2011 |title=Heron Taxonomy and Evolution |url=http://www.heronconservation.org/styled-5/styled-6/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112220326/http://www.heronconservation.org/styled-5/styled-6/ |archive-date=12 January 2016 |access-date=19 October 2015 |work=Heron Conservation |publisher=IUCN Heron Specialist Group}}</ref> The grey heron was [[Species description|formally described]] by the Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]''. He placed it with the [[cattle egret]] and the [[great egret]] in the genus ''[[Ardea (genus)|Ardea]]'' and coined the [[binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Ardea cinerea''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=143 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727050 }}</ref> The scientific name comes the [[Latin]] ''ardea'' meaning "heron" and ''cinereus'' meaning "ash-grey" or "ash-coloured".<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n54/mode/1up 54], [https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n107/mode/1up 107]}}</ref>

Four [[subspecies]] are recognised:<ref name=IOC/>
* ''A. c. cinerea'' – [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]: [[Subspecies#Nominotypical subspecies and subspecies autonyms|nominate]], found in [[Europe]], [[Africa]], western [[Palearctic|Asia]]
* ''A. c. jouyi'' – Clark, 1907: found in eastern [[Palearctic|Asia]]
* ''A. c. firasa'' – [[Ernst Hartert|Hartert]], 1917: found in [[Madagascar]]
* ''A. c. monicae'' – [[Christian Jouanin|Jouanin]] & Roux, 1963: found on islands off [[Banc d'Arguin National Park|Banc d'Arguin]], [[Mauritania]].

It is closely related and similar to the North American [[great blue heron]] (''Ardea herodias''), which differs in being larger, and having chestnut-brown flanks and thighs; and to the [[cocoi heron]] (''Ardea cocoi'') from South America, with which it forms a superspecies. Some authorities believe that the subspecies ''A. c. monicae'' should be considered a separate species.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.hbw.com/node/52674 |title=Grey Heron (''Ardea cinerea'') |author1=Martínez-Vilalta, A. |author2=Motis, A. |author3=Kirwan, G.M. |editor-first1=Josep |editor-first2=Andrew |editor-first3=Jordi |editor-first4=David |editor-first5=Eduardo |editor-last1=Del Hoyo |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-last3=Sargatal |editor-last4=Christie |editor-last5=De Juana |year=2020 |journal=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona |doi=10.2173/bow.graher1.01 |s2cid=216469782 |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref> It has been known to hybridise with the [[great egret]] (''Ardea alba''), the [[little egret]] (''Egretta garzetta''), the great blue heron and the [[purple heron]] (''Ardea purpurea'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=6AC87967&sec=summary&ssver=1 |title=Grey Heron: ''Ardea cinerea'' Linnaeus, 1758 |work=Avibase |access-date=19 October 2015}}</ref> The Australian [[white-faced heron]] is often incorrectly called a grey heron.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Field Guide to the Birds of Australia |last=Pizzey |first=Graham |author2=Knight, Frank |year=1997 |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=Sydney, Australia |isbn=0-207-18013-X |page=111}}</ref> In Ireland, the grey heron is often colloquially called a "crane".<ref name=AvianWeb>{{cite web |url=http://beautyofbirds.com/greyherons.html |title=Grey herons |publisher=AvianWeb |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324052508/https://www.beautyofbirds.com/greyherons.html |archive-date=2016-03-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Grey Heron in front of flowers.jpg|left|thumb|Head, with neck retracted]]
The grey heron is a large bird, standing up to {{convert|100|cm|in|-1|abbr=on}} tall and measuring {{convert|84|-|102|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long with a {{convert|155|–|195|cm|in|frac=2|adj=on|abbr=on}} wingspan.<ref name=arkive/> The body weight can range from {{convert|1.02|–|2.08|kg|lboz|frac=4|abbr=on}}.<ref name=CRC/> The [[plumage]] is largely ashy-grey above, and greyish-white below, with some black on the flanks. Adults have a white head and neck with a broad black [[supercilium]] that terminates in the slender, dangling crest, and bluish-black streaks on the front of the neck. The scapular feathers and the feathers at the base of the neck are somewhat elongated. Immature birds lack the dark stripe on the head and are generally duller in appearance than adults, with a grey head and neck, and a small, dark grey crest. The pinkish-yellow beak is long, straight, and powerful, and is brighter in color in breeding adults. The [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]] is yellow and the legs are brown and very long.<ref name=Witherby/>

The main call is a loud croaking "fraaank", but a variety of guttural and raucous noises are heard at the breeding colony. The male uses an advertisement call to encourage a female to join him at the nest, and both sexes use various greeting calls after a pair bond has been established. A loud, harsh "schaah" is used by the male in driving other birds from the vicinity of the nest and a soft "gogogo" expresses anxiety, as when a predator is nearby or a human walks past the colony. The chicks utter loud chattering or ticking noises.<ref name=Witherby/>

==Distribution and habitat==

[[File:ArdeaCinereaIUCN2019 2.png|thumb|Range of ''A. cinerea'' {{leftlegend|#00FF00|Breeding|outline=gray}} {{leftlegend|#008000|Resident|outline=gray}} {{leftlegend|#007FFF|Non-breeding|outline=gray}} {{leftlegend|#FF00FF|Vagrant (seasonality uncertain)|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Extant & Introduced (resident)|outline=gray}}]]
[[File:Ardea cinerea Tokyo May 3 2021.webm|thumb|Grey heron flies a short distance in a [[Tokyo]] park, 2021]]

The grey heron has an extensive range throughout most of the [[Palearctic realm]]. The range of the nominate subspecies ''A. c. cinerea'' extends to 70° N in Norway and 66°N in Sweden, but its northerly limit is around 60°N across the rest of Europe and Asia, as far eastwards as the [[Ural Mountains]]. To the south, its range extends to northern Spain, France, central Italy, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iraq, Iran, India, The Maldives and Myanmar (Burma). It is also present in Africa south of the [[Sahara|Sahara Desert]], the [[Canary Islands]], Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and many of the Mediterranean Islands. It is replaced by ''A. c. jouyi'' in eastern Siberia, Mongolia, eastern China, Hainan, Japan, and Taiwan. In Madagascar and the [[Aldabra Group|Aldabra Islands]], the subspecies ''A. c. firasa'' is found, while the subspecies ''A. c. monicae'' is restricted to Mauritania and offshore islands.<ref name=Witherby>{{cite book |title=Handbook of British Birds, Volume 3: Hawks to Ducks |editor-last=Witherby |editor-first=H. F. |year=1943 |publisher=H. F. and G. Witherby Ltd. |pages=125–133 }}</ref>

Over much of its range, the grey heron is resident, but birds from the more northerly parts of Europe migrate southwards, some remaining in Central and Southern Europe, others travelling on to Africa south of the Sahara Desert.<ref name=Witherby/>

The grey heron is also known to be [[Vagrancy (biology)|vagrant]] in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Iceland, Greenland, the Aleutian Islands, and Newfoundland, with a few confirmed sightings in other parts of North America including Nova Scotia and Nantucket.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Seaberg |first1=Maureen |last2=Main |first2=Douglas |date=21 September 2020 |title=Gray heron seen for first time in contiguous U.S., as species expands range |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/gray-heron-sighting-united-states-expanding-range/ |magazine=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref>

Within its range, the grey heron can be found anywhere with suitable watery habitat that can supply its food. The water body must be either shallow enough, or have a shelving margin in it, so that it can wade. Although most common in the lowlands, it also occurs in mountain tarns, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, marshes, ponds, ditches, flooded areas, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and the sea shore. It sometimes forages away from water in pasture, and it has been recorded in desert areas, hunting for beetles and lizards. Breeding colonies are usually near feeding areas, but exceptionally may be up to {{convert|8|km|mi|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} away, and birds sometimes forage as much as {{convert|20|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the nesting site.<ref name=Witherby/>

==Behaviour==
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted in an S-shape. This is characteristic of herons and [[bittern]]s, and distinguishes them from [[stork]]s, [[crane (bird)|crane]]s, and [[spoonbill]]s, which extend their necks.<ref name=Witherby/> It flies with slow wing-beats and sometimes glides for short distances. It sometimes soars, circling to considerable heights, but not as often as the stork. In spring, and occasionally in autumn, birds may soar high above the heronry and chase each other, undertake aerial manoeuvres or swoop down towards the ground. The birds often perch in trees, but spend much time on the ground, striding about or standing still for long periods with an upright stance, often on a single leg.<ref name=Witherby/>
===Diet and feeding===
[[File:Ardea cinerea gallinula 8898.jpg|thumb|left|Grey heron eating a juvenile [[common moorhen]]]]
Grey herons are [[apex predator|apex predators]] in their aquatic ecosystem.<ref>Bjedov, Dora, et al. "The first analysis of heavy metals in the Grey Heron Ardea cinerea feathers from the Croatian colonies." Larus-Godišnjak Zavoda za ornitologiju Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti 55.1 (2020): 7-25.</ref> [[Fish]], [[amphibian]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[insect]]s are caught in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as [[duck]]lings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a [[water rail]] or [[white-throated rail]].<ref name=Pistorius2008/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ardea_cinerea/ | title=Ardea cinerea (Grey heron) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> Small [[mammal]]s such as [[Arvicola|water vole]]s, [[rat]]s, [[stoat]]s and young [[rabbit]]s are additionally caught.<ref>Giles, N. "Summer diet of the grey heron." Scot. Birds 11 (1981): 153-159.</ref><ref>SAWARA, Yuji, Muneki SAKUYAMA, and Gen DEMACHI. "Diets and foraging site utilization of the Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, in the breeding season." Japanese Journal of Ornithology 43.2 (1994): 61-71.</ref>

Prey items vary in size from 1 cm-long fish and invertebrates, weighing less than 1g, to 30 cm-long carps and 57cm eels. While chicks tend to have smaller prey, individual prey caught by fully-grown Grey Herons commonly exceed 100g in weight and occasionally exceed 500g.<ref>Moser, M. E. "Prey profitability for adult Grey Herons Ardea cinerea and the constraints on prey size when feeding young nestlings." Ibis 128.3 (1986): 392-405.</ref> One paper reports that an adult heron managed to catch and swallow [[sea trout]] weighing 680g.<ref>Cook, David C. "Foraging behaviour and food of Grey Herons Ardea cinerea on the Ythan Estuary." Bird Study 25.1 (1978): 17-22.</ref> It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is then able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very quickly.<ref name=Witherby/> Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, has its neck snapped with the heron's beak, or is bludgeoned against the ground or a nearby rock, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates [[Pellet (ornithology)|pellets]] of indigestible material such as fur, bones, and the chitinous remains of insects. The main hunting periods are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of the day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.<ref name=Witherby/>

===Breeding===
[[File:Ardea cinerea 0144 (26380369151).jpg|thumb|Grey heron flying with nesting material in Stockholm, Sweden]]
This species breeds in [[Bird colony|colonies]] known as heronries, usually in high trees close to lakes, the seashore, or other wetlands. Other sites are sometimes chosen, and these include low trees and bushes, bramble patches, [[reed bed]]s, heather clumps and cliff ledges. The same nest is used year after year until blown down; it starts as a small platform of sticks but expands into a bulky nest as more material is added in subsequent years. It may be lined with smaller twigs, strands of root or dead grasses; in reed beds, it is built from dead reeds. The male usually collects the material, while the female constructs the nest. Breeding activities take place between February and June. When a bird arrives at the nest, a greeting ceremony occurs in which each partner raises and lowers its wings and plumes.<ref name=AvianWeb/> In continental Europe, and elsewhere, nesting colonies sometimes include nests of the [[purple heron]] and other heron species.<ref name=Witherby/>

Courtship involves the male calling from his chosen nesting site. On the arrival of the female, both birds participate in a stretching ceremony, in which each bird extends its neck vertically before bringing it backwards and downwards with the bill remaining vertical, simultaneously flexing its legs, before returning to its normal stance. The snapping ceremony is another behaviour where the neck is extended forward, the head is lowered to the level of the feet, and the mandibles are vigorously snapped together. This may be repeated 20-40 times. When the pairing is settled, the birds may caress each other by attending to the other bird's plumage. The male may then offer the female a stick, which she incorporates into the nest. At this, the male becomes excited, further preening the female, and copulation takes place.<ref name=Witherby/>

[[File:Ardea cinerea EM1B2923 (35309122776).jpg|thumb|left|An adult feeding juveniles]]
The [[Clutch (eggs)|clutch]] of eggs usually numbers three to five, though as few as two and as many as seven eggs have been recorded. The eggs have a matt surface and are greenish-blue, averaging {{convert|60|x|43|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}}. The eggs are normally laid at two-day intervals and incubation usually starts after the first or second egg has been laid. Both birds take part in incubation and the [[incubation period|period]] lasts about 25 days. Both parents bring food for the young. At first, the chicks seize the adult's bill from the side and extract regurgitated food from it. Later, the adult disgorges the food at the nest and the chicks squabble for possession. They [[fledge]] at 7-8 weeks. Usually, a single brood is raised each year, but two broods have been recorded.<ref name=Witherby/>

The oldest recorded bird lived for 23 years, but the average life expectancy in the wild is about 5 years. Only about a third of juveniles survive into their second year, many falling victim to predation.<ref name=AvianWeb/>

===City life===
[[File:Spheniscus humboldti -Birdworld, Farnham, Surrey, England -zoo keeper-8a.jpg|thumb|upright|Seeking food from a zoo penguin enclosure]]

Grey herons have the ability to live in cities where habitats and nesting space are available. In the [[Netherlands]], it has established itself over the past decades in great numbers in urban environments. In cities such as [[Amsterdam]], they are ever present and well adapted to modern city life.<ref name="Amsterdam herons">{{cite news|last1=Hrudova|first1=Julie|title=The urban herons of Amsterdam|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/jun/05/urban-herons-amsterdam-in-pictures|website=The Guardian|date=5 June 2017 |access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref> They hunt as usual, but also visit street markets and snack bars. Some individuals make use of people feeding them at their homes or share the catch of recreational fishermen. Similar behaviour on a smaller scale has been reported in Ireland.<ref name=Schoffies/> Garden ponds stocked with ornamental fish are attractive to herons, and the easy prey may provide young birds with a learning opportunity on how to hunt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/heronsandponds/ |title=Herons and garden fish ponds |date=3 June 2004 |publisher=RSPB |access-date=18 October 2015}}</ref>

Herons have been observed visiting water enclosures in zoos, such as spaces for [[penguin]]s, [[otter]]s, [[pelican]]s, and [[Pinniped|seals]], and taking food meant for the animals on display.<ref name=Tiergarten/><ref>{{cite web|title=Birdworld Animals|url=http://birdworld.co.uk/animals/|website=Birdworld|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Mallison">{{cite web|last1=Mallison|first1=Heinrich|title=Interspecific prey theft in extant theropod dinosaurs – Ardea vs. Spheniscus|url=https://dinosaurpalaeo.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/interspecific-prey-theft-in-extant-theropod-dinosaurs-ardea-vs-spheniscus/|website=Dinosaur Paleo|date=24 May 2015 |publisher=Humboldt University Berlin|access-date=15 May 2016}}</ref>

== Predators and parasites ==

Being large birds with powerful beaks, grey herons have few predators as adults, but the eggs and young are more vulnerable. The adult birds do not usually leave the nest unattended, but may be lured away by marauding [[Corvus (genus)|crows]] or [[Kite (bird)|kites]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.besgroup.org/2011/01/05/nesting-grey-herons-5-predation%E2%80%8F%E2%80%8F/ |title=Nesting grey herons: predation |author=Kwong Wai Chong |date=5 January 2011 |publisher=Bird Ecology Study Group |access-date=18 October 2015}}</ref> A dead grey heron found in the [[Pyrenees]] is thought to have been killed by an [[European otter|otter]]. The bird may have been weakened by harsh winter weather causing scarcity of its prey.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ruiz-Olmo, Jordi |author2=Marsol, Rosa |year=2002 |title=New Information on the Predation of Fish Eating Birds by the Eurasian Otter (''Lutra lutra'') |journal=IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=103–106 |url=http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Bulletin/Volume19/Ruiz_Olmo_Marsol_2002.html }}</ref>

A study performed by Sitko and Heneberg in the Czech Republic between 1962 and 2013 suggested that Central European grey herons host 29 species of [[helminths|parasitic worms]]. The dominant species consisted of ''Apharyngostrigea cornu'' (67% prevalence), ''Posthodiplostomum cuticola'' (41% prevalence), ''Echinochasmus beleocephalus'' (39% prevalence), ''Uroproctepisthmium bursicola'' (36% prevalence), ''Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus'' (31% prevalence), ''Desmidocercella numidica'' (29% prevalence), and ''Bilharziella polonica'' (5% prevalence). Juvenile grey herons were shown to host fewer species, but the intensity of infection was higher in the juveniles than in the adult herons. Of the [[Digenea|digenean flatworms]] found in Central European grey herons, 52% of the species likely infected their definitive hosts outside Central Europe itself, in the premigratory, migratory, or wintering quarters, despite the fact that a substantial proportion of grey herons does not migrate to the south.<ref name="Sitko & Heneberg 2015"/>

==In human culture==
[[File:Stamps of Germany (DDR) 1959, MiNr 0688.jpg|thumb|[[East German]] postal stamp, 1959]]
[[Bennu]], an [[Ancient Egyptian deities|ancient Egyptian deity]] associated with the sun, creation, and rebirth, was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wilkinson, Richard H. |title=The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2003 |page=[https://archive.org/details/completegodsgodd00wilk_0/page/212 212] |isbn=978-0-500-05120-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/completegodsgodd00wilk_0/page/212 }}</ref>

In [[ancient Rome]], the heron was a bird of [[divination]] that gave an [[augury]] (sign of a coming event) by its call, like the raven, stork, and owl.<ref name="JonsonOrgel1969">{{cite book |last1=Jonson |first1=Ben |last2=Orgel |first2=Stephen |title=The Complete Masques |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=11bs7mOJdz0C&pg=PA553 |year=1969 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-10538-4 |page=553}}</ref>

Roast heron was once a specially prized dish in Britain for special occasions such as state banquets. For the appointment of [[George Neville (bishop)|George Neville]] as [[Archbishop of York]] in 1465, 400 herons were served to the guests. Young birds were still being shot and eaten in [[Romney Marsh]] in 1896. Two grey herons feature in a [[stained-glass]] window of the church in [[Selborne]], [[Hampshire]].<ref name=BB>{{cite book |last1=Cocker |first1=Mark |last2=Mabey |first2=Richard |author2-link=Richard Mabey |title=Birds Britannica |title-link=Birds Britannica |date=2005 |publisher=Chatto & Windus |isbn=0-7011-6907-9 |pages=51–56}}</ref>

The [[England|English]] [[surname]]s Earnshaw, Hernshaw, Herne, and Heron all derive from the heron, the suffix -shaw meaning a [[woodland|wood]], referring to a place where herons nested.<ref name="Bardsley">{{cite book |last=Bardsley |first=Ch. W. E. |title=A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkAHAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA377 |publisher=[[Henry Frowde]] |date=1901 |isbn=978-5-87114-401-5 |page=377}}</ref>

A talking grey heron is the deuteragonist in [[Hayao Miyazaki]]’s final animated film, [[The Boy and the Heron]].

==References==

{{Reflist|28em|refs=
<ref name=arkive>{{cite web |url=http://www.arkive.org/grey-heron/ardea-cinerea/#text=Facts |title=Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) |work=ARKive |access-date=27 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127024454/http://www.arkive.org/grey-heron/ardea-cinerea/#text=Facts#text=Facts |archive-date=2012-01-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=CRC>{{cite book |title=CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses |editor-first=John B. Jr. |editor-last=Dunning |publisher=CRC Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8493-4258-5}}</ref>
<ref name=IOC>{{cite web |editor-last=Gill |editor-first=Frank |editor2-last=Donsker |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Rasmussen |editor3-first=Pamela |title=IOC World Bird List |url = https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/pelicans/ | access-date=12 December 2020}}</ref>
<ref name=Pistorius2008>{{cite journal |last=Pistorius |first=P.A. |year=2008 |title=Grey Heron (''Ardea cinerea'') predation on the Aldabra White-throated Rail (''Dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus'') |journal=Wilson Journal of Ornithology |volume=120 |issue=3 |pages=631–632 |doi=10.1676/07-101.1 |s2cid=84943679 }}</ref>
<ref name=Schoffies>The heron's city life is documented in the Dutch [[Documentary film|documentary]] [http://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=28c2da63-b1d6-460c-8819-515b60847490 ''Schoffies'' (''Hoodlums'')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119051445/http://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=28c2da63-b1d6-460c-8819-515b60847490 |date=2017-01-19 }}, shot in Amsterdam.</ref>
<ref name="Sitko & Heneberg 2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Sitko |first1=J. |last2=Heneberg |first2=P. |year=2015 |title=Composition, structure and pattern of helminth assemblages associated with central European herons (Ardeidae) |journal=Parasitology International |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=100–112 |doi=10.1016/j.parint.2014.10.009 |pmid=25449288}}</ref>
<ref name=Tiergarten>{{cite web |title=Graureiher |url=https://www.zoovienna.at/tiere/voegel/graureiher/ |publisher=Tiergarten Schoenbrunn |access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|Ardea cinerea|Ardea cinerea}}
{{Wikispecies|Ardea cinerea}}
* {{IUCN_Map|22696993|Ardea cinerea}}
* {{Xeno-canto species|Ardea|cinerea|Grey heron}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q25273}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ardea (genus)|grey heron]]
[[Category:Herons|grey heron]]
[[Category:Birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds of Eurasia]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1758|grey heron]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus|grey heron]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Birds of Nepal]]

[[ga:Corr réisc]]

Grey heron - Revision history

CelinaArellano: updated structure for clarity and cleaned formatting per standard format

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article