Voice
A loud, harsh 'frank' or 'kaark' call, often in flight, otherwise usually silent. At nesting colonies a variety of croaking calls. Young birds utter pig-like squeals.
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) [XC894750]
by Will Scott from Tartu, Tartu City, Tartu maakond, Estonia (nocturnal flight call)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) [XC844555]
by Martin Billard from Arrondissement du Blanc (near Saint-Michel-en-Brenne), Indre, Centre-Val de Loire, France (flight call, nocturnal flight call)
Nest
Bulky stick structure, in trees, close to lakes, the sea-shore or other wetlands. Also in reeds. In colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 6, usually 4; matt, greenish blue. Incubation: 24 - 27 days; by both sexes.
Young
Fledge in about 49 - 56 days. Fed by regurgitation by both parents.
Subspecies
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 - Europe, Africa, western Asia.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9