Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, is a bird of wetlands across the Palearctic, Africa and the Oriental Region, and it is widespread in those areas. It belongs to the heron family, Ardeidae, and is found around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and the sea coast. Its most notable feature is its long-legged wading form. It is a resident bird in much of its range, though some northern populations move south in autumn. It feeds by waiting still at the water’s edge or by stalking through shallow water. It breeds in colonies in spring, usually nesting high in trees.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
Breeding range
Palearctic, Africa, Oriental Region: widespread
Grey Heron
© Giles Laurent · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

17 tours in Poland 7, Spain 5, South Africa 2, Uganda 1, Hungary 1, Senegal 1

Land Meets Sea: Coastal Birdwatching and Private Boat
Land Meets Sea: Coastal Birdwatching and Private Boat
Poland / Gdańsk Private tour 1 day

Combine a guided walk on the western side of Mewia Łacha with a private boat trip for a different view of Baltic birds and grey seals....

Mewia Łacha Coastal Birdwatching Adventure
Mewia Łacha Coastal Birdwatching Adventure
Poland / Gdańsk Private tour 1 day

Follow a five-hour private loop through pine woodland, riverbanks and sandy dunes to watch coastal birds at the eastern end of Sobieszewo Is...

Ptasi Raj Private Birdwatching Walk
Ptasi Raj Private Birdwatching Walk
Poland / Gdańsk Private tour 1 day

Explore Ptasi Raj on a private four-to-five-hour walk, with time for your interests across forest paths, wetland viewpoints and the Baltic c...

Ptasi Raj Explorer: Small-Group Birdwatching
Ptasi Raj Explorer: Small-Group Birdwatching
Poland / Gdańsk Group tour 1 day

Join Ryan for a four-hour birdwatching walk through Ptasi Raj, with woodland, wetland hides and a Baltic beach on a 7.5 km route....

Private Barycz Valley Birdwatching by Bicycle
Private Barycz Valley Birdwatching by Bicycle
Poland / Milicz Private tour 4h

Combine cycling and birdwatching on a private four-hour route through the Barycz Valley, with a local ornithologist, planned stops and suppl...

From PLN 600
Private Barycz Valley Birdwatching Walk
Private Barycz Valley Birdwatching Walk
Poland / Milicz Private tour 3h

Explore the Milicz Ponds on a private, year-round birdwatching walk with a local ornithologist, supplied optics and a route adapted to the s...

From PLN 350
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 15 days

A 15-day Uganda birding circuit from Entebbe through Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo, Mgahinga, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Semliki for Sh...

From USD 4,685
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 8h

Spend a private day across Kiskunsag’s puszta, sodic lakes, fishponds and floodplain edges, choosing sites around the season and priority ...

From EUR 100
Short Northern Burgos Birding Stay - 2 Days
Short Northern Burgos Birding Stay - 2 Days
Spain / Burgos Group tour 2 days

Two-day, one-night birding break with a guided 4x4 route through Alto Ebro canyons, plateaux, northern woodland and the Ebro Reservoir....

Birds and Gastronomy in Northern Burgos - 3 Days
Birds and Gastronomy in Northern Burgos - 3 Days
Spain / Burgos Group tour 3 days

Three-day Alto Ebro birding stay combining canyon, woodland and reservoir routes with northern Burgos food and regional wines....

Birds and Wine in Northern Burgos - 3 Days
Birds and Wine in Northern Burgos - 3 Days
Spain / Burgos Group tour 3 days

Three-day northern Burgos birding stay pairing Alto Ebro landscapes and reservoir birding with selected regional wines....

Hiking and Birding in Northern Burgos - 6 Days
Hiking and Birding in Northern Burgos - 6 Days
Spain / Burgos Group tour 6 days

Six-day stay combining guided birding by 4x4 with walks through the Ebro Canyon, Orbaneja del Castillo and northern Burgos habitats....

Northern Burgos Birding Tour - 5 Days
Northern Burgos Birding Tour - 5 Days
Spain / Burgos Group tour 5 days

Five-day small-group birding stay exploring the Alto Ebro canyons, northern forests, the Ebro Reservoir and Burgos cereal plains....

Private Djoudj Pirogue Birding and Wildlife Excursion
Private Djoudj Pirogue Birding and Wildlife Excursion
Senegal / Saint-Louis Private tour 1 day

A 1.5-hour private pirogue trip through Djoudj’s wetland channels, watching waterbirds and other wildlife from the authorized boat route i...

Private Warsaw Birding Walk with Krzysztof Tabernacki
Private Warsaw Birding Walk with Krzysztof Tabernacki
Poland / Warsaw Private tour 1 day

A flexible private birding walk in Warsaw with local ornithologist, bird ringer and nature educator Krzysztof Tabernacki....

3-Day Cape Town Birding Tour
3-Day Cape Town Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 3 days

Spend three days linking Cape Town fynbos, False Bay, endemic-rich mountain slopes, penguin coast and the Cape Peninsula....

10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 10 days

A private or small-group Western Cape birding itinerary from Cape Town through the Cape Peninsula, West Coast, Tankwa Karoo, Agulhas Plain, ...