Grey Heron/Corr réisc (Ardea cinerea)

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.

Standing up to a metre tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2.2 to 4.4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown.

The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.

The main call is a loud croaking "fraaank", but a variety of guttural and raucous noises are heard at the breeding colony. Grey herons have the ability to live in cities where habitats and nesting space are available. In the Netherlands, the grey heron has established itself over the past decades in great numbers in urban environments. In cities such as Amsterdam, they are ever present and well adapted to modern city life. They hunt as usual, but also visit street markets and snackbars. Some individuals make use of people feeding them at their homes or share the catch of recreational fishermen. Similar behaviour on a smaller scale has been reported in Ireland (Dublin, Galway and Cork). (wikipedia)

A rough looking young bird perched out on some fencing along the River Tolka running through Griffith Park, Drumcondra in Dublin.

Taken in: Ireland / Leinster / Drumcondra (show map)

Taken on: November 26, 2024

Tags:

Bird

Herons

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Corr réisc

Europe

Ireland

Dublin

Mark

Camera

Sony

200-600 G OSS FE 5.6-6.3

ILCE-9M2

A9II

SEL200600G

200-600mm

Mark Carmody

Carmo

CarmoPolice

CarmoPolis

Carmody

markcarmodyphotography

markcarmodyphotography.com

Topic

Irish Birds

Common

Landscape

Coast

Estuary

harbour

shoreline

River

River System

books

Birds of Ireland

Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide

Freshwater Birds of Ireland

Shorebirds of Ireland

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Sets appears in: • Birds of Ireland

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Camera: Sony ILCE-9M2, f/9.0, 1/500 sec, 700mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony ILCE-9M2
Lens:	Sony FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) + 1.4X Teleconverter (SEL14TC)
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	700mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	Low
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Capture One 23 Macintosh
Show full info

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