28-4-2019 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

The Little egret (Egretta garzetta) is small elegant heron in the family Ardeidae. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. At one time common in Western Europe, the Little heron was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in Northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase.

The plumage of the Little egret is normally entirely white, although there are dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage. In the breeding season, the adult has two long plumes on the nape that form a crest. These plumes are about 150 mm (6 in) and are pointed and very narrow. There are similar feathers on the breast, but the barbs are more widely spread.

The Little Egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. Its arrival followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor.

With its yellow feet, which are used to flush prey when feeding in shallow water, the Little Egret is a distinctive member of the heron family.

Little Egrets first bred in Britain in 1996 and since then have successfully colonised much of southern Britain and Ireland. Most of the breeding colonies have been established within existing Grey Heron colonies, the two species nesting alongside one another.

The winter distribution is also currently restricted to the southern half of Britain & Ireland, despite the fact that young birds are known to move some distance from their natal site. 

15-4-2018 CHOBE NAT PARK, BOTSWANA - SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILL (Bucorvus leadbeateri)

The Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri), formerly known as Bucorvus cafer, is a remarkable bird, the largest in the hornbill order and found exclusively within Africa. This majestic creature, with a length ranging from 90 to 129 cm and a wingspan of 1.2 to 1.8 meters, is a sight to behold. The males, larger than the females, can weigh between 3.5 to 6.2 kilograms, while females range from 2.2 to 4.6 kilograms. They are predominantly black with striking red patches of bare skin on the face and throat, which serve to keep dust from their eyes while foraging. In flight, the white tips of their wings are distinctly visible. The beak is robust, black, and slightly curved, with a casque more pronounced in males. Females are identified by their violet-blue throat skin, while juveniles have a paler, greyish patch instead of the vibrant red.

To identify the Southern Ground Hornbill, look for its large size, black plumage, and the vivid red or violet-blue skin on the throat. The male's throat is a pure red, while the female's is deep violet-blue. Juveniles can be recognized by their duller grey throat patch. In flight, the white primary feathers are a key distinguishing feature.

The Southern Ground Hornbill is found in woodlands and savannas, requiring a habitat with large trees for nesting and short grass for foraging.

This species ranges from Kenya to South Africa, with its presence also noted in northern Namibia and Angola to southern Zimbabwe and Burundi.

Living in groups of 5 to 10, these birds are apex predators and play a crucial ecological role. They forage on the ground, hunting a variety of prey from insects to small mammals. They are known for their loud, chorus-like calls that can be heard over great distances, serving as a means of maintaining their territory.

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - ROSE EVENING PRIMROSE (Oenothera rosea)

Oenothera rosea, also known as rosy evening-primrose, rose evening primrose, pink evening primrose, or Rose of Mexico, is a plant belonging to the genus Oenothera and native to northern Mexico and Texas.

Oenothera rosea has flowers with less than 2.5 cm (0.98 in) diameter. The shade varies from pink to red.

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer montanus)

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris rapae)

24-4-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto)

The Eurasian collared dove, collared dove or Turkish dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a dove species native to Europe and Asia; it was introduced to Japan, North America and islands in the Caribbean.

The Eurasian collared dove is not migratory, but is strongly dispersive. Over the last century, it has been one of the great colonisers of the bird world, travelling far beyond its native range to colonise colder countries, becoming a permanent resident in several of them. Its original range at the end of the 19th century was warm temperate and subtropical Asia from Turkey east to southern China and south through India to Sri Lanka. In 1838 it was reported in Bulgaria, but not until the 20th century did it expand across Europe, appearing in parts of the Balkans between 1900 and 1920, and then spreading rapidly northwest, reaching Germany in 1945, Great Britain by 1953 (breeding for the first time in 1956), Ireland in 1959, and the Faroe Islands in the early 1970s. 

Subsequent spread was 'sideways' from this fast northwestern spread, reaching northeast to north of the Arctic Circle in Norway and east to the Ural Mountains in Russia, and southwest to the Canary Islands and northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt, by the end of the 20th century. In the east of its range, it has also spread northeast to most of central and northern China, and locally (probably introduced) in Japan. It has also reached Iceland as a vagrant (41 records up to 2006), but has not colonised successfully there.

The Eurasian collared dove is a medium-sized dove, distinctly smaller than the wood pigeon, similar in length to a rock pigeon but slimmer and longer-tailed, and slightly larger than the related European turtle dove, with an average length of 32 cm (13 in)[14] from tip of beak to tip of tail, with a wingspan of 47–55 cm (19–22 in), and a weight of 125–240 g (4.4–8.5 oz). It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey underwing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey and tipped white below; the outer tail feathers are also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar edged with white on its nape from which it gets its name. The short legs are red and the bill is black. 

The iris is red, but from a distance the eyes appear to be black, as the pupil is relatively large and only a narrow rim of reddish-brown iris can be seen around the black pupil. The eye is surrounded by a small area of bare skin, which is either white or yellow. The two sexes are virtually indistinguishable; juveniles differ in having a poorly developed collar, and a brown iris. The subspecies S. d. xanthocycla differs in having yellow rather than white eye-rings, darker grey on the head and the underparts a slightly darker pink.

The song is a goo-GOO-goo. The Eurasian collared dove also makes a harsh loud screeching call lasting about two seconds, particularly in flight just before landing. A rough way to describe the screeching sound is a hah-hah.

Eurasian collared doves cooing in early spring are sometimes mistakenly reported as the calls of early-arriving common cuckoos and, as such, a mistaken sign of spring's return.

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - FIELD BINDWEED (Convolvulus arvensis)

Convolvulus arvensis, or field bindweed, is a species of bindweed in the Convolvulaceae native to Europe and Asia. It is a rhizomatous and climbing or creeping herbaceous perennial plant with stems growing to 0.5–2 metres (1.6–6.6 ft) in length. It is usually found at ground level with small white and pink flowers.

Other common names, mostly obsolete, include lesser bindweed, European bindweed, withy wind (in basket willow crops), perennial morning glory, small-flowered morning glory, creeping Jenny, and possession vine.

Convolvulus arvensis is a perennial vine that typically climbs to 1 metre (3.3 ft). The vine produces woody rhizomes from which it resprouts in the spring, or when the aboveground vines are removed.

The leaves are spirally arranged, linear to arrowhead-shaped, 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long and alternate, with a 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) petiole. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 1–2.5 cm (0.39–0.98 in) diameter, white or pale pink, with five slightly darker pink radial stripes. Flowering occurs in the mid-summer (in the UK, between June and September) when white to pale pink, funnel-shaped flowers develop. Flowers are approximately 0.75–1 in (1.9–2.5 cm) across and are subtended by small bracts. Fruit are light brown, rounded and 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) wide. Each fruit contains 2 or 4 seeds that are eaten by birds and can remain viable in the soil for decades. The stems climb by twisting around other plant stems in a counter-clockwise direction.

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Lysimachia arvensis)

Lysimachia arvensis, syn. Anagallis arvensis, commonly known as scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poor man's barometer, poor man's weather-glass, shepherd's weather glass or shepherd's clock, is a species of low-growing annual plant with brightly coloured flowers, most often scarlet but also bright blue and sometimes pink. The native range of the species is Europe and Western Asia and North Africa. The species has been distributed widely by humans, either deliberately as an ornamental flower or accidentally. L. arvensis is now naturalised almost worldwide, with a range that encompasses the Americas, Central and East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Malesia, the Pacific Islands, Australasia and Southern Africa.

This common European plant is generally considered a weed and is an indicator of light soils, though it grows opportunistically in clay soils as well. The origin of the name pimpernel comes from late Middle English pympernele [1400–50], derived from Middle French pimprenelle, from Old French piprenelle, and ultimately from Vulgar Latin *piperīnella (piper 'pepper' + -īn- '-ine' + -ella diminutive suffix).

The flower serves as the emblem of the fictional hero the Scarlet Pimpernel.

When found as a summer annual, the scarlet pimpernel has a low-growing creeping habit, but as a winter annual, it forms a half-rosette with an upright stem. It has weak sprawling stems with square cross-section growing to about 5–30 centimetres (2–12 in) long. They bear bright green, soft, ovate sessile leaves in opposite pairs. The orange, red or blue, radially symmetric flowers, about 10–15 millimetres (0.4–0.6 in) in diameter, are produced singly in the leaf axils from spring to autumn. The petal margins are somewhat crenate and have small glandular hairs. The stamens have lollipop hairs and therefore attract a variety of pollinators, especially flies, but the flowers are also capable of autopollination. The dehiscent capsule fruits ripen from August to October in the northern hemisphere. The weight of the fruiting body bends the stem, and the seeds are transported by the wind or rain. Blue-flowered plants (treated as L. arvensis f. azurea by some sources) are common in some areas, such as the Mediterranean region, and should not be confused with the related blue pimpernel, Lysimachia foemina. In 2007, a molecular phylogenetic study showed that Lysimachia foemina is more closely related to Lysimachia monelli than to Lysimachia arvensis, and should be treated as a separate species (all three species were then placed in Anagallis). The species has a diploid chromosome count of 2n=40.

Scarlet pimpernel flowers open only when the sun shines, and even close in overcast conditions. This habit leads to names such as "shepherd's weather glass". It has been observed along the verges of salted roads, creating a broad red band along the roadside.

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - LITTLE STINT (Calidris minuta)

The Little Stint, scientifically known as Calidris minuta, is a diminutive wader, a member of the family Scolopacidae. It is recognized by its small stature, fine dark bill, and dark legs, which set it apart from other waders, save for its close relatives, the dark-legged stints. This species exhibits a fine bill tip, unwebbed toes, and a notable long primary projection.

This bird nests on a scrape in bare ground, laying 3–5 eggs. It is polygamous, and male and female may incubate separate clutches.

Food is small invertebrates picked off the mud.

In breeding plumage, the adult Little Stint can be identified by an orange hue on the breast, a stark white throat, and a pronounced white V on the back. Winter plumage makes identification more challenging, while juveniles can be spotted by their pale crown stripes and a faintly pinkish breast. The bird's call is a distinctive sharp "stit."

The Little Stint is found in arctic regions during the breeding season, favoring open, bare ground for nesting.

A true long-distance migrant, the Little Stint breeds in the arctic realms of Europe and Asia. When not breeding, it travels extensively to wintering grounds in Africa and south Asia. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in North America and Australia.

The Little Stint is known for its gregarious nature during the non-breeding season, often forming substantial flocks with other Calidris waders, particularly the Dunlin. These flocks are commonly seen on coastal mudflats or at the edges of inland pools.

Polygamous by nature, the Little Stint lays 3-5 eggs in a scrape on the ground. Both males and females may incubate separate clutches, a unique aspect of their breeding behavior.

The diet of the Little Stint consists of small invertebrates, which it picks off from the mud.

The Little Stint is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline. However, its numbers are influenced by the population dynamics of lemmings, which in turn affect predation rates by other Arctic species. The Little Stint is also protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

The Little Stint is a very small wading bird that breeds in the Arctic tundra of Europe and Asia and migrates to wintering grounds in Africa, South Asia, and southern Europe. Key characteristics include its small size, short, straight black bill, and black legs, with a brownish-grey back and white underside. They are often seen in flocks on estuaries and muddy shores, sometimes joining other waders like Dunlin. 

Physical characteristics

Size: Tiny wading bird, smaller than a Dunlin.

Bill: Short, straight, and black.

Legs: Medium-length and black.

Plumage: Brownish-grey above and white underneath; in winter, it is grey above.

Juvenile appearance: Autumn birds have two pale stripes or "braces" down their back. 

Habitat and behavior

Habitat: Prefers estuaries and muddy shores of wetlands.

Social behavior: Often found in flocks, sometimes mixed with other waders.

Migration: A long-distance migrant, with most birds seen passing through the UK in autumn.

Breeding: Nests on the tundra in northern Scandinavia and Siberia. 

Geographic range

Breeding: Arctic Europe and Asia.

Wintering: Africa, South Asia, and southern Europe.

Vagrant: Occasionally seen in North America and Australia. 

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WHINCHAT ( Saxicola rubetra)

The whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Both sexes have a strong supercilium, brownish upper parts mottled darker, a pale throat and breast, a pale buff to whitish belly, and a blackish tail with white bases to the outer tail feathers, but in the breeding season, the male has an orange-buff throat and breast.The whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Both sexes have a strong supercilium, brownish upper parts mottled darker, a pale throat and breast, a pale buff to whitish belly, and a blackish tail with white bases to the outer tail feathers, but in the breeding season, the male has an orange-buff throat and breast.

The whinchat is a solitary species, favouring open grassy country with rough vegetation and scattered small shrubs. It perches in elevated locations ready to pounce on the insects and other small invertebrates that form its diet. The nest is built by the female on the ground in coarse vegetation, with a clutch of four to seven eggs being laid. The hen incubates the eggs for about thirteen days and then both parents feed the nestlings. Fledging takes place about eighteen days after hatching and the parents continue to feed the young for another fortnight. Moulting takes place in late summer before the migration southwards, and again on the wintering grounds in Africa before the migration northwards in spring. The whinchat is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified it as being of "least concern".

26-4-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla flava)

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - COMMON GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia)

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

The Glossy Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird with dark, iridescent plumage, a long curved bill, and long legs. They are found in wetlands and wet fields across much of the globe, where they forage in flocks for a diet of insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and small fish. Their habitat is threatened by drainage and other wetland alterations. 

Appearance

Plumage: A rich chestnut-brown body, with metallic green and purple sheens on the wings and back, especially on breeding adults.

Bill: A long, down-curved bill, often greenish-brown.

Size: About 23 inches (58 cm) long with a 36-inch (91 cm) wingspan.

Distinguishing features: Breeding adults have fine white lines around the base of their bill and a reddish-brown or cobalt-blue facial patch.

In flight: They fly with their neck outstretched and legs trailing straight behind. 

Habitat and range

Habitat: Found in a variety of wetland environments, including freshwater and saltwater marshes, rice fields, and riverbanks.

Range: A cosmopolitan species found in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, and South America. 

Diet and feeding

Diet: Omnivorous, feeding on insects (like beetles, dragonflies, and grasshoppers), worms, crustaceans (like crayfish and leeches), small fish, and amphibians.

Feeding behavior: They forage by wading in shallow water and probing the mud with their bills, which are equipped with sensory organs to detect vibrations.

Flocking: They typically forage in groups, sometimes with other species like egrets. 

Reproduction

Nesting: They are colonial nesters, building nests in vegetation like reeds or tamarisks.

Eggs: Typically lay 3-4 eggs, with both parents participating in nest building and feeding the young. 

Conservation

Status: Not listed as threatened globally by the IUCN.

Threats: Local populations can be threatened by habitat alteration, such as drainage and irrigation, and the invasion of exotic plants. 

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

Striking large black-and-white wader with a thin, straight bill and bright pink legs, found in wetlands with open shallow water throughout much of Africa and Eurasia, often in brackish habitats. Some populations are migratory, departing northerly breeding grounds for warmer southern regions. Often forms noisy colonies on bare ground near water. Essentially unmistakable throughout much of its range, but compare with Pied Stilt in parts of Southeast Asia. Feeds by wading in water, picking from the water surface with its needle-like bill. In flight, long pink legs stick out far beyond the tail. Calls loudly and stridently, especially when alarmed during the breeding season.

The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed, very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family Recurvirostridae. Its scientific name, Himantopus himantopus, is sometimes used to generalize a single, almost cosmopolitan species. Alternatively, it is restricted to the form that is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa, which equals the nominate group of H. himantopus sensu lato. Meanwhile, the black-necked (H. mexicanus) and white-backed stilts (H. melanurus) both inhabit the Americas; the pied stilt (H. leucocephalus) ranges from Australasia and New Zealand. Today, most sources accept between one and four actual species. The taxonomic name Himantopus comes from Greek, meaning "strap-foot" or "thong-foot".

Adults are 33–36 cm (13–14 in) long, with long, pink legs, and a long, rather thin black bill. The birds are generally black above and white below, with a white head and neck (with a varying amount of black, species-dependent). Males have a black back, often with a greenish gloss or sheen. Females' backs have a brownish hue, contrasting with the black remiges. In populations where the top of the head is normally white (at least in winter), females tend to have less black on the head and neck the entire year-round, while males often have much more black, particularly in summer. This difference is not clear-cut, however, and males usually grow all-white head feathers in winter. 

Immature birds are grey, instead of black, and have a markedly sandy hue on their wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

The breeding habitat of all these stilts is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants. In Europe, the black-winged stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries. Pairs successfully bred in Britain in 1987, and after a 27-year hiatus there were two instances of successful breeding in Southern England in 2014. 13 young were fledged in southern England in 2017.Four chicks were successfully fledged in northern England in 2022; this is believed to be the most northerly breeding success for the black-winged stilt.

These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They eat mainly insects and crustaceans.

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but some (including the International Ornithologists' Union) separate them. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Western cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the cattle egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

The adult cattle egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals; wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

The cattle egret has undergone one of the most rapid and wide reaching natural expansions of any bird species. It was originally native to parts of Southern Spain and Portugal, tropical and subtropical Africa and humid tropical and western Asia. In the end of the 19th century it began expanding its range into southern Africa, first breeding in the Cape Province in 1908. Cattle egrets were first sighted in the Americas on the boundary of Guiana and Suriname in 1877, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. It was not until the 1930s that the species is thought to have become established in that area.

The species first arrived in North America in 1941 (these early sightings were originally dismissed as escapees), bred in Florida in 1953, and spread rapidly, breeding for the first time in Canada in 1962. It is now commonly seen as far west as California. It was first recorded breeding in Cuba in 1957, in Costa Rica in 1958, and in Mexico in 1963, although it was probably established before that. In Europe, the species had historically declined in Spain and Portugal, but in the latter part of the 20th century it expanded back through the Iberian Peninsula, and then began to colonise other parts of Europe; southern France in 1958, northern France in 1981 and Italy in 1985. Breeding in the United Kingdom was recorded for the first time in 2008 only a year after an influx seen in the previous year. In 2008, cattle egrets were also reported as having moved into Ireland for the first time.

The massive and rapid expansion of the cattle egret's range is due to its relationship with humans and their domesticated animals. Originally adapted to a commensal relationship with large grazing and browsing animals, it was easily able to switch to domesticated cattle and horses. As the keeping of livestock spread throughout the world, the cattle egret was able to occupy otherwise empty niches. Many populations of cattle egrets are highly migratory and dispersive, and this has helped the species' range expansion. The species has been seen as a vagrant in various sub-Antarctic islands, including South Georgia, Marion Island, the South Sandwich Islands and the South Orkney Islands. A small flock of eight birds was also seen in Fiji in 2008.

The Eurasian coot, Fulica atra, also known as the common coot or Australian coot, is a distinctive waterbird with a slaty-black body, a glossy black head, and a striking white bill topped with a white frontal shield. This bird is a member of the Rallidae family, which includes rails and crakes. Both sexes exhibit similar plumage, making them indistinguishable in the field.

Adult Eurasian coots measure 36–38 cm in length with a wingspan of 70–80 cm. Males are slightly heavier than females, weighing around 890 g compared to the females' 750 g. The species is characterized by its white bill and frontal shield, which contrast sharply with its all-black body. Juveniles are paler with a whitish breast and lack the facial shield, which develops fully by one year of age.

The Eurasian coot is found on freshwater lakes and ponds and has adapted well to urban environments, often seen in city parks and gardens with water bodies.

This bird has a broad range across the Old World, including Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North Africa. It is a resident in milder regions but migrates south and west from much of Asia during winter.

The Eurasian coot is less secretive than many rails, often visible on open water or grasslands. It is territorial and aggressive during the breeding season, with both parents defending their territory. In non-breeding seasons, coots may form large flocks. They are reluctant flyers, preferring to run across water surfaces, and are known for bobbing their heads while swimming.

24-4-2019 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) is a statuesque wading bird belonging to the family Ardeidae. It is a familiar sight in both rural and urban settings, often seen standing stoically along the water's edge. An adult Grey Heron is a large bird, reaching up to 100 cm in height, with a wingspan between 155 to 195 cm. It weighs between 1 to 2 kg. The plumage is predominantly ashy-grey above, with a greyish-white underbelly and some black on the flanks. A striking feature is the white head and neck adorned with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The beak is pinkish-yellow, long, and sharply pointed, while the legs are a brown hue.

When identifying the Grey Heron, look for the white head with the black supercilium and crest, the long grey neck, and the ashy-grey wings and back. The underparts are lighter, and the legs are long and brown. Juveniles can be distinguished by their duller grey neck and smaller crest. The beak is a useful indicator of age, being brighter in breeding adults.