Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GenusArdea (Great Herons and Egrets)
SpeciesArdea cinerea (Grey Heron)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

1 Verified records at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged 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 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Ardea alba

Ardea purpurea

Ardeola grayii

Egretta garzetta

Egretta intermedia

Nycticorax nycticorax

Insufficient data

Butorides striata

Insufficient data

Gorsachius melanolophus

Insufficient data

Threskiornis melanocephalus

<5% · Rare

Pelecanus philippensis

Insufficient data

Platalea leucorodia

Insufficient data

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Grey Heron at Sinharaja Forest Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	70–80%
2	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	70–80%
3	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	70–80%
4	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	60–70%
5	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	60–70%
6	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	60–70%
7	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	60–70%
8	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	50–60%
9	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	50–60%
10	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	50–60%
11	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	50–60%
12	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	50–60%
13	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	50–60%
14	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	50–60%
15	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	50–60%
16	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	50–60%
17	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	50–60%
18	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	40–50%
19	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	40–50%
20	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	40–50%
21	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	40–50%
22	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	40–50%
23	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	40–50%
24	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	40–50%
25	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	40–50%
26	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	30–40%
27	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	30–40%
28	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	30–40%
29	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	30–40%
30	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	30–40%
31	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	30–40%
32	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	30–40%
33	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	30–40%
34	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	30–40%
35	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	20–30%
36	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	20–30%
37	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	20–30%
38	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
39	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	20–30%
40	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	20–30%
41	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	20–30%
42	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	20–30%
43	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	20–30%
44	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
45	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	20–30%
46	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	20–30%
47	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	20–30%
48	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	20–30%
49	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	20–30%
50	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	20–30%
51	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	20–30%
52	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	20–30%
53	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	20–30%
54	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	20–30%
55	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	20–30%
56	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	10–20%
57	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	10–20%
58	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	10–20%
59	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	10–20%
60	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	10–20%
61	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	10–20%
62	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	10–20%
63	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
64	Hemis National Park	🇮🇳 India	10–20%
65	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	10–20%
66	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	10–20%
67	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	10–20%
68	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	10–20%
69	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	10–20%
70	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	10–20%
71	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
72	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	10–20%
73	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	5–10%
74	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
75	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	5–10%
76	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
77	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	5–10%
78	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	5–10%
79	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	5–10%
80	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	5–10%
81	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	5–10%
82	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	5–10%
83	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	5–10%
84	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
85	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	<5%
86	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	<5%
87	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
88	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	<5%
89	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	<5%
90	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	<5%
91	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
92	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	<5%
93	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
94	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	<5%
95	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
96	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
97	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
98	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
99	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
100	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
101	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
102	Khao Luang National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
103	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
104	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
105	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
106	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
107	Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
108	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
109	Horton Plains National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
110	Cuc Phuong National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
111	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
112	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data

← Back to Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Grey Heron

Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Great Egret

Purple Heron

Indian Pond Heron

Little Egret

intermediate egret

Black-crowned Night Heron

Striated Heron

Malayan Night Heron

Black-headed Ibis

Grey Pelican

Eurasian Spoonbill

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found