Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – the Grey Heron

THIS week, we review a very elegant bird, the Grey Heron, which we often see near water where it hunts for food.

Also read: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Chorister Robin-Chat

Description

The Grey Heron is a lanky bird with long, yellow-brown legs and a long neck. It has a distinctive head with a long, sharp beak. It stands just short of a metre at around 95cm and weighs between 1 to 2kg.

The plumage is predominantly shades of light grey with a mainly white neck. The males and females look alike and difficult to tell apart.

The Grey Heron can be easily confused with the Black-Headed Heron. The best way of telling the difference is to look at the head. The Grey Heron has a black streak on its head while the Black-Headed Heron has an all-black head.

Distribution

The Grey Heron can be found in many parts of the world and throughout the entire South Africa, including the arid areas.

Habitat

You will spot the Grey Heron wherever there is water – most often in the shallow margins of lakes, estuaries, dams and natural vleis.

Feeding

The Grey Heron feeds mainly on fish, such as tilapia and mullet, but will also eat many other species, such as worms, frogs and small rodents, which are found in or near water. Unlike most birds, they hunt both during the day as well as at night.

Breeding

This is a monogamous species but only during one season. They sometimes build solitary nests, but most often, they build nests in large colonies of up to a few 100 birds. The nest is usually built in a tree near water, and the building is done primarily by the female. Up to four eggs are laid which take about 25 days to hatch. Both adults feed the chicks, but there is often competition for food among them which can lead to them killing each other.

Predators and threats

Because of their size, the adults are generally not preyed upon, but their eggs and chicks are vulnerable to predators, such as crows, kites and small mammals that can find their way to the nests. Nesting sites are vulnerable to wetland drainage for development purposes. They are also vulnerable to pollutants, such as fertiliser chemicals in the water where they feed.

Local information

You will have to look at our very few dams and ponds in the Upper Highway area to see the Grey Heron. It can often be spotted in gardens with fish ponds.

Interesting facts

When flying, herons curve their necks into an S-shape, whereas most other birds with longish necks, such as storks, fly with a straight neck.

While on the ground, the Grey Heron does not look very aerodynamic, but they are excellent fliers, reaching speeds of up to 48km per hour.

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