Ardea cinerea · Irish: Corr Réisc

A tall, patient hunter that stands motionless at the water's edge.

Habitat: Pond and lake margins, rivers, wet fields and estuaries. | Season: All year

Identification

• Large grey-and-white bird with a long neck
• Dagger-like yellow bill; black plume trailing from the head

Behaviour

Stands stock-still for long periods before striking at fish, frogs or small mammals with lightning speed; flies with slow, deep wingbeats and neck tucked in.

Did you know?

Grey Herons nest together in noisy treetop colonies called heronries, and some of these traditional nesting sites in Ireland have been used, year after year, for well over a century.

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