Wikipedia:School and university projects/7th Basic Ornithology Course, Pune/Grey Heron

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is the draft of the wikipedia article on Grey Heron being improved by the 7th Basic Ornithology Course, Pune run by Ela Foundation and Abasaheb Garware College of Arts and Sciences. For more details see this page. -

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions. It has become common in summer even inside the Arctic circle along the Norwegian coast.

Description
It is a large bird, standing 90–100 cm tall, with a 175–195 cm wingspan and a weight of 1–2 kg. Itsplumage is largely grey above, and off-white below. Adults have a white head with a broad blacksupercilium and slender crest, while immatures have a dull grey head. It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes andspoonbills, which extend their necks. The call is a loud croaking "fraaank". The Australian White-faced Heronis often incorrectly called Grey Heron. In Ireland the grey heron is often colloquially called " crane ".

Taxonomy
There are four subspecies:
 * Ardea cinerea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 Europe, Africa, western Asia
 * Ardea cinerea jouyi Clark, 1907 . Eastern Asia
 * Ardea cinerea firasa Hartert, 1917 . Madagascar
 * Ardea cinerea monicae Jouanin & Roux, 1963 . Islands off Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania.

It is closely related and similar to the American Great Blue Heron, which differs in slightly larger size, and chestnut-brown flanks and thighs.

Food and feeding


It feeds in shallow water, catching fish, frogs, and insects with its long bill. Herons will also take smallmammals, reptiles and occasionally warbler nestlings, plovers, young and adult snipes, takes ducklings and tern chicks and other small birds. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.

In the Netherlands, the Grey Heron has become a very common species in recent decades by moving into urban environments in great numbers. There, the herons hunt as they usually would but also make use of food discarded by humans, will visit feeding times in zoos to birds such as penguins and pelicans and some individuals even make use of people feeding them at their homes. Similar behaviour on a smaller scale has been reported in Ireland.

Breeding
This species breeds in colonies in trees close to lakes, the seashore or other wetlands, although it will also nest in reedbeds. It builds a bulky stick nest.

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 * Taxonomy and systematics (including subspecies, relation to related species, history of naming, alternate names, and evolution)
 * Description or Identification (often including details on immature plumage, moult, calls, and similar species)
 * Distribution and habitat
 * Behaviour and ecology
 * Breeding
 * Food and feeding
 * Threats or Survival
 * In culture or Relationship to humans
 * Status