Grey Herons are unmistakeable – tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest.
The Grey Heron is a distinctive species with grey, black, and white plumage. It is often seen along rivers or lake margins, or standing in flooded fields.
In flight their large size, impressive wingspan, long legs, and folded neck give them an unmistakable silhouette. Largely silent away from colonies, flight is sometimes accompanied by a harsh ‘kraank’ call.
Grey Herons gather to nest in treetop sites called heronries, some of which have been occupied for many decades. These have been monitored in the UK since 1928 through the Heronries Census. Overall the UK's breeding population has increased, with numbers peaking in the early 2000, but with some more recent declines.
