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Information about herons

Information about herons


The Heron gracefully feeds on the water's edge with its sharp pointed beak, a long-legged bird that can be found in many different climates throughout the planet, it is exceptionally suitable for the environment in which it lives, and this also means that the Heron is extremely sensitive to any disturbances in its native habitat.

Information about herons


Characteristics of herons


Color: brown, grey, black, white

Main prey: fish, insects, mollusks

Predators: Fox, Mink, raccoon

Maximum speed: 40 mph

Wingspan: up to 91 inches classification: Aves, a class of vertebrates comprising birds

Life span: 15 – 20 years distinctive feature: it has long slender legs, pointed beak arrangement: Ciconiiformes, an order of birds that mainly eat tropical fish including herons, storks, spoonbills, flamingos/ flamingos, and related birds are all relatively large and usually have long legs and beak

Weight: 1.5 kg – 3 kg (3.3 lbs – 6.6 lbs)

Incubation period of eggs: a month

Height: 85cm – 140cm (34inch – 55inch) habitat: wetland areas location: Africa, Asia, Central America, Eurasia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Diet: carnivore

Lifestyle: secluded

Favorite food: fish

Lives in wetlands around the world

Nesting site: bushes, slopes or trees

Information about herons


Amazing Facts about herons


Predator unilateral tendencies of highly regional, but some species congregate in large colonies consisting of more than a hundred bird of repetition

Possesses several different appeals to express surprise and annoyance or to identify other members of it

It develops its plumage at the top of its head to appear elegantly to attract females in the breeding season


Where to find herons


It lives in moist freshwater lands, lakes and ponds around the world, and although it is more common in the tropics, it is found in almost every region except the driest deserts and high mountains, the Arctic and Antarctica.

Information about herons


Heron nests


This bird builds a large nest of sticks in bushes, cliffs or trees, and this nest is part of larger colonies called heronries / rookeries



Scientific name of the Heron


The scientific name of the heron family Ardeidae, which is derived from the Latin word for heron ardea, there are more than 60 species in this family, some of which are the Heron and Heron


The difference between herons and white herons


The biological differences between the owner and swallowing are fairly slim, coupled with the fact that the Heron a whiter appearance, especially in the breeding season.



Size, appearance and behavior of herons


The Malek family is a very diverse family with all kinds of unique colors and appearance, including black, gray, blue, yellow and much more, but the most common and prominent feature is the very long neck and twisted in the middle to resemble an S-shape, which helps support the beak and heavy head, and when the Malek flies his head


Other notable characteristics of the owner's bird include large wings, a large sharp beak and exceptionally long legs for wading into the water, a part of the body covered with fine powder caused by the disintegration of feathers, which enables the bird to clean itself

The Heron is usually between 1 and 5 feet long, and the largest species is the mighty Heron / the goliath heron which surpasses all other species in size, with a height of 5 feet and a wingspan of 7 feet 7 inches.

Daytime species: the Great Blue / The great blue heron, the black-headed heron, and the Grey/ The grey heron, all feed during the day with their long necks extended in the water.

Nocturnal species: the black-crowned night heron and the yellow-crowned night heron feed through the night with their short legs and thick beak.

The Tiger herons comprise only six species, which are solitary birds with Tiger-like striped plumage, most of which live in central or South America.


Information about herons


Heron migration pattern and timing


The distance it travels depends on the climate of its natural breeding areas, and the species in the south live in a similar place all year round, while the species in the far north tend to move south for the winter as the water there will not freeze and prevent it from feeding.

The owner of the Great Blue, for example will travel between southern Canada and the southern United States or even Central America.

Information about herons


Diet for herons


Because it is widely distributed throughout the world, it has a highly selective diet, in which there are generally two types of feeding strategies: the general who feeds on anything available, or the specialist who feeds on a very specific group of prey, in both cases this bird plays a vital role in controlling prey numbers.


What does Heron eat?


It feeds on fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic insects near the shore, and after delving into the shallow parts of the water the bird recognizes the animal's prey by its sharp appearance and quickly takes it out through its beak.


Predators, threats and conservation status of herons


Due to its enormous range, most species are currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and do not require special efforts to preserve it, but a few in particular are endangered or critically endangered, including the Himalayan white-bellied Heron and the Malagasy Lake owner/the Madagascar pond heron, the nocturnal owner of the island of Mauritius, Bermuda and elsewhere has already


Herons: reproduction, young, age of feathering

Reproductive strategies tend to vary by species, but generally in the breeding season the male attracts one mate with an impressive courtship display as its feathers protrude and fly around, and once the female chooses a suitable mate, she lays up to seven eggs at a time.

After an incubation period of several weeks, the young hatch from the eggs with incomplete bodies, both the male and the female devote considerable time to caring for their young to ensure they grow properly, share the tasks of incubation, nest building and feeding, and the larger ones tend to receive the most food from the parents who keep them alive

It usually takes between two and three months before it grows feathers full for juniors and become more independent, and many of these kids will not live in the first year of their lives, which work of them usually live up to 15 or 20 years in the wild.


Numbers of herons


Malek is one of some of the most common waterfowl around the world, it is estimated that the Great Blue Malek in North America has up to 5 million mature individuals left in the wild, while the gray Malek in Eurasia and Africa has up to 2.5 million mature individuals, but especially where habitats are threatened some rare species are on the verge of extinction

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Great Blue Heron facts: not (technically) egrets, definitely not cranes | Animal Fact Files




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