1. Gray heron – Ardea cinerea
The gray heron is a large waterfowl with a body length of 90-100 cm, a wingspan of 150-175 cm, and a weight of 1.0-1.9 kg. The plumage of an adult is gray-blue, with a white belly and black legs. During the nesting period, a black bangs appears on the male's head. The gray heron has a long and a thin neck that helps it catch fish. The beak of the heron is long and sharp.
Gray heron is common in Eurasia, Africa and North America. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the Crimea.
Чапля сіра – це перелітний птах. Вона зимує в Південній Європі, Африці та Азії.
Гніздиться чапля сіра на прісноводних озерах, великих ставках з очеретяними берегами, плесах річок. Гніздо будує на мілководді, серед очерету або іншої прибережної рослинності.
A gray heron is a migratory bird. It winters in Southern Europe, Africa and Asia. Gray heron nests on freshwater lakes, large ponds with reed banks, river beds. The nest is built on shallow water, among reeds or other coastal vegetation. There are 3-5 eggs in a gray heron's clutch. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 24-26 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
Grey heron feeds on fish, insect larvae, mollusks and other aquatic invertebrates.
Little egret is a fairly common species, but in some regions its numbers are declining. The reasons for this are pollution of water bodies, destruction of coastal plants and poaching.
In Ukraine, the gray heron is listed in the Red Book in the status "Under slight threat".
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko