Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Fiskehejren er en fugl, der er udbredt i Europa, Asien og store dele af Afrika syd for Sahara. Den lever af småfisk, frøer og krebsdyr, som den fanger på lavt vand i søer og moser og ved havet langs kysterne.
Very large, 84–102 cm, 155–175 cm; ashy grey above, greyish white below with black on the flanks and black flight feathers. White head and neck with a broad black stripe from the eye into a black crest, and a long, powerful, pale yellowish bill.
Plumage and variation
Summer and winter: Breeding birds show a brighter-coloured bill than outside the season.
Juvenile: Juvenile is duller with a grey — not black — stripe, only a small dark grey crest, a grey face and throat, and a blackish crown.
Voice
A loud croaking "fraaank"; also a harsh "schaah" in territorial disputes and a soft "gogogo".
Behaviour
Hunts by standing perfectly still in the shallows and striking suddenly, or by stalking slowly forward; the long legs let it fish relatively deep water. Flies with slow wingbeats and the neck retracted in an S — that separates herons from cranes and storks. Often stands on one leg and perches readily in trees.
When and where
A common Danish breeder, in colonies in tall trees near lakes and coasts; some 6,000–7,000 pairs in more than 100 colonies (2000). Arrives in early March and leaves in September–October, though increasing numbers now overwinter.
Facts
Wingspan
173 cm
Conservation status
ikke truet
Relatives
Family
herons and bitterns
Ardeidae
Order
pelicans and herons
Pelecaniformes
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