What does a heron look like. 50 interesting facts about herons. Listen to the voice of the gray heron

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, in a standing bird a black-and-white spot stands out 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, or. 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 in trees and shrubs, the main building material thin dry rods and branches serve. 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.

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 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, characteristic of all herons belonging to this family. 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.

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 alone or 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, so 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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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.

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.

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.

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)

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 this is entirely 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 appearance and does not spare time for the care of 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? By way of exception, there are couples family life that last 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 does not count rare bird, but its number certain types has not yet recovered.

The heron is a proud strong bird from the stork family. It belongs to the group of ankle-footed birds leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle. The population has taken root well in many parts of the world, it can be found on almost any continent.

The birds are united by one circumstance: one way or another, but all herons live near water bodies, in deltas, floodplains. They successfully settled swamps, reed beds, lakes, fertile areas of wet meadows.

What do herons eat

The main diet of the bird is made up of representatives from the world of aquatic, coastal living creatures. Herons eat tadpoles with pleasure, their diet contains a lot of fish, from fry to adults. They do not disdain snakes, newts, lizards, snakes, all kinds of frogs, toads. A delicacy for them are mollusks, insects, crustaceans.

At every opportunity, the heron is not averse to eating warm-blooded creatures. In their diet, you can find rodents, moles, gull chicks. Quantity, quality composition of heron food varies depending on the characteristics of the habitat, season.

In the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, small fish are the basis of the heron's diet. When the reservoirs dry up, birds hunt for young pikes and carps. If the season turned out to be fruitful, an increase in the population of locusts is observed in these places. In this case, the heron completely switches to eating insects. If the territories are flooded with floods in the spring, birds are happy to hunt gerbils.
Near Lenkoran in the summer, local herons gobble up fish, frogs, cicadas, filly with might and main. In the steppes they prey on voles, rats, mice; they find water insects near the shore, swallowing parts of marsh plants along with them. In winter, the bird switches to young pike, carp, bream, and kutum.
In the Astrakhan Reserve, the bird feeds mainly on frogs, mice, and water rats. Does not disdain large larvae, insects, snakes.

"The heron is important, with a big nose, and stands like a statue all day long." The nursery rhyme brings a smile, and the imagination draws a large bird with a long beak, very long thin legs and a long neck, curved in the letter S. These birds are known for their attachment to shallow waters, where standing on one leg they can track fish for hours.

Herons belong to the order of storks (ankles) and the heron family. True herons form a genus of the same name, which includes 14 species of birds, similar in structure and lifestyle, but differing in size and plumage color.

Because of the clumsy mincing gait in Rus', the heron was called "chaple" or "chepura". Similar bird names can be traced in all Slavic languages, because they come from the common word "chapat".

What does a heron look like

These are large birds with a height of 80 - 100 cm and above. The average weight of a heron is about 1.5 - 2 kg, males are slightly heavier than females and no other external sexual differences were found in the genus of birds.

The body of the heron is elongated, dense and massive. Looking at the photo of a heron, her long neck catches the eye - a unique and distinctive part of the body of these birds. If the rest of the storks in flight stretch their necks far forward, then the heron, on the contrary, folds its neck in such a way that its nape lies on its back.

The legs of herons are long and thin, ending in 4 fingers: 3 are directed forward, one back. On the claw of the middle finger grows a particularly long serrated claw, which plays an important role in hygiene procedures. From the broken tips of feathers on the body of birds, the so-called powders are formed - a kind of powder, needed by the birds for lubricating feathers so that they do not stick together from the mucus of the fish eaten. This is where the long claw helps, with which the heron "powders" its plumage.

The long rounded wings of herons with a span of about 2 m are well adapted for long flights. Herons take off in an interesting way: at first, the bird makes frequent flaps and breaks away from the surface, but its legs do not tighten and for some time they hang freely in the air. In a heron that has gained altitude, the flight is slow and calm, and its long legs are extended into a string and set far behind the body.

Narrow long beak herons are an excellent tool for obtaining food, with which birds easily pierce fish and kill rodents the size of a young rabbit. The beak of the heron has a slightly flattened shape from the sides and grows up to 13 - 15 cm. The color of the beak is from pale yellow to dark brown.

The plumage of herons is dense and loose and does not differ in a variety of colors. The prevailing colors are gray, white and black, only the main plumage of the red heron is chestnut-brown. In many species, the back of the head is decorated with a crest of long feathers.

The gray heron is ready to take to the blue sky in a moment.

Range and lifestyle

Herons are distributed throughout the world. Inhabitants of the northern regions migratory birds wintering in the south. Some of them remain for the winter in their nesting sites, provided that water bodies are not frozen.

Most herons live near freshwater lakes; individual colonies are found near brackish waters and seas. The main thing for birds is shallow water, where they can get fish and tall trees for nesting. Herons do not live only in dense forests, deserts and highlands.

Sometimes herons can be found in settlements located near reservoirs, as well as within the city.

These birds do not adhere to a certain time of sleep and wakefulness, they can be active day and night, although they prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk. Most of the time, herons forage for food, but they do not feed so much as they track down prey, standing in the water with their legs tucked in.

Gray heron with a caught fish.

What do herons eat

Each heron practices its own method of obtaining food. Some patiently stand on one foot in the thickets of reeds, others wander along the coast with their necks folded, churning the water with their long legs. Some spread their wings, shading a patch of water and looking at what is happening under their feet.

As soon as the prey comes into view, the heron straightens its neck with lightning speed and grabs the prey across the body. Then deftly throws along the beak and swallows whole, head first. The heron tears large food into pieces, hammers with its beak and breaks bones.

Mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians and large insects are always present in the diet of herons. Birds do not disdain small animals and willingly eat water rats, mice and moles. On occasion, they steal prey from bitterns, cormorants and gulls, but they themselves become victims of the robbery of other birds, for example, gray crows.

Near human habitation, herons willingly feed on garbage and processed products of fish farms.

Great white heron in flight.

Reproduction features

Females mature at one year of age puberty males comes to 2 years. In individuals of both sexes, the beak and legs become intense red during the mating season.

Herons are monogamous, some species form a pair for life, others only for one season. The inhabitants of the tropics are not tied to a specific breeding time. Migratory populations of the temperate zone nest immediately after arrival: in March - early April.

During the nesting period, most species of herons form large colonies of tens or even hundreds of pairs. Nests are built high in trees, sometimes in thickets of shrubs and reeds.

Mating is preceded by a very original mating ritual. The first to build a nest is the male, and then calls the female, standing on the nest in a characteristic position with spread wings and her head thrown back into the sky. A female arrives, attracted by croaking sounds, and the male immediately beats her up and drives her away. This continues over and over again, and the later the female arrives, the sooner a pair is formed, sometimes without the ritual of beatings and expulsions.

Herons mate and continue nest building. The male brings twigs and dry reeds, the female lays them down, at the same time protecting the nest from the encroachments of neighbors. The nest of herons looks like a carelessly felled pile of branches, its shape is an inverted cone, with an average height of 50 - 60 cm with a tray diameter of about 80 cm. Often a pair reuses the nest, correcting and completing it every year.

Breeding

The female lays from 3 to 9 greenish-blue eggs, many of which are pointed at both ends, and sits in the nest alternately with the male. Herons of southern populations incubate clutch for 3 weeks, living in temperate latitudes for 26 - 27 days. The first chick hatches from the first laid egg and has every chance of survival.

Chicks are born sighted, covered with grayish-white down and completely helpless. Parents feed offspring with over-digested food, which is regurgitated from the stomach.

After some time, fierce competition begins among the chicks. The first is the strongest, he gets more food, he takes away food from weak brothers and sisters, it was often noted that large chicks ate the younger ones. While the parents are busy getting the next food, the chicks can take food from the chicks - neighbors who are already able to fly.

At best, half of the offspring survive, often 1-2 of the strongest chicks remain in the nest. At the age of 2 months, young birds acquire the ability to fly and begin to feed on their own.

In captivity, herons live up to 20 years. wild nature their life expectancy is much shorter.

Types of herons

To date, the most studied are 12 species of herons belonging to the genus true herons, most of them are quite numerous, but some are rare and endangered. The heron family also includes genera: egrets (10 species), Egyptian herons (1 species), pond herons (6 species), tiger herons (3 species) and others. Bitterns and night herons are also members of the heron family.

Representatives of the species are quite numerous and live in most of Eurasia and Africa. The largest number of birds is noted in Russia, China and Japan. These are large herons weighing up to 2 kg with a characteristic bluish-gray plumage of the back and a light gray underparts.

Gray herons on a dried tree.

Great gray heron on the morning hunt.

Gray heron on a walk.

Gray heron in flight.

A gray heron landing on the water, photo taken in Israel.

These closest relatives of the gray heron are widespread in the New World. The growth of an adult reaches 137 cm with a body weight of about 2.5 kg. The upper part of the body of the birds is gray in color; black, white and brownish stripes are clearly distinguishable on the long neck. The back of the head of males is decorated with a bunch of black feathers.

Great blue herons on the nest.

Numerous species of herons living in Africa, America, Eurasia, Australia and New Zealand. Adult birds grow up to 104 cm and weigh a little more than a kg. A distinctive feature of the great egret is its completely snow-white plumage.

Great Egret, Okavango Delta, Botswana.

The great white heron is a large wading bird with long legs, 94-104 cm tall.

The widespread large population of these birds lives from East Africa to the southern Asian regions and Australia. It closely resembles the great egret, but has a smaller body size.

A rare, endangered species of herons living in northern Myanmar, India and Bhutan. These are large birds, up to 127 cm tall, dark gray in color with a whitish lower body.

Medium-sized bird with a chestnut-brown lower body and a gray back. It lives in Africa and Eurasia, forms 4 subspecies, which are quite numerous throughout the range.

Red heron (Ardea purpurea).

Red heron chasing fish.

Absolutely white birds with a crest on the head and a bright yellow beak. They live in Russia, Korea and China, winter on the islands of Southeast Asia. Today, yellow-billed herons are listed as vulnerable species.

Yellow-billed heron in flight.

A species of small herons with a body length of about 45 - 55 cm. The contrasting color of the plumage resembles a magpie: a dark gray back and head and a white chest. Birds are found in large numbers in Australia, New Guinea and the nearest small islands.

The bird is of medium size, about 85 cm in size. The plumage color resembles gray herons, but is darker in color with black markings on the neck. They live south of the Sahara desert and on the island of Madagascar. The state of the black-necked heron population does not cause concern.

The black-necked heron gathers twigs for the nest.

Endangered species of herons living in Madagascar. This is a medium-sized bird about 90 cm long with a gray-slate plumage color.

A very numerous species of birds living throughout the territory South America and nearby islands. The body length of adult birds is 95 - 127 cm with a weight of up to 2.5 kg. The belly of the birds is black, the head is decorated with a black cap, the neck and chest are white.

The largest representative of the genus, also known as the goliath heron and the giant heron. The growth of birds is 155 cm, and body weight reaches 7 kg. The plumage of birds is gray-brown, the neck and head are chestnut-brown, the chin is painted in White color. A large population of birds lives throughout the African continent south of the Sahara Desert.

Giant herons at the pond.

The little white heron belongs to the genus white herons. Outwardly, it looks like a great egret from the genus common herons.

The species white heron belongs to the genus white herons. It lives almost throughout South America and in the south North America. On the North American continent this species leads a migratory lifestyle.

The white heron caught a crayfish.

The American Egret (Snowy Egret) is about 60 centimeters long and feeds on a variety of small fish, crustaceans, reptiles and occasionally insects.

Relatives of herons - cranes, look

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

BREEDING

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WHAT DOES IT FEED

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Description of herons

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